New Member Worried About Increase in PSA

I went for physical, PSA level 3.6. I’m 51 yrs old! I had another test 1 month later , PSA was 5.5. Going for Prostate Biopsy! I’m nervous. Is raise in PSA level a huge concern?

(Edited to give post a title)

Post Edited By Moderator (Tudpock18) : 12/19/2017 3:21:17 PM (GMT-7)

Hello Willy and welcome. It's doubtful the increase in PSA is caused by prostate cancer as more typically one sees a slower and more gradual increase. It's more likely that you have some sort of prostate infection. Before you rush off to a biopsy I would suggest that you speak with your urologist about the possibility of an infection and consider a course of antibiotics to see if they have any effect.

Prostate biopsies are usually non-eventful but can be both painful and cause issues in some instances. Try to rule out other causes for your PSA increase before taking this step. Also, was this your first PSA test or do you have other data points?

Good luck, keep us informed and let us know how we can help.

Jim

Hi Willy,

I was in the same situation a year ago. My PSA had jumped from 3.8 in Dec. 2015 to 6.3 in Dec. 2016. My GP referred me to a URO who monitored my PSA for about 7 months. It did eventually drop to 5.5, but my URO recommended a biopsy at that point as it was clearly not going back into a normal range... the rest is in my sig.

I would tell you not to worry, but I know that won't do any good because we've all been there. I suggest you take Tudpock's advice and try to rule out infections first. Do you have any symptoms? Also, I don't see it mentioned here very often, but recent ejaculation can also cause a rise in PSA.

Nothing wrong with doing a biopsy right away, but there are some risks involved that your urologist should discuss with you.

Good luck and we're here to support you when you need us.

Jeff

Michelle, I'm going to copy and paste your message into a new thread with a topic for you. This way you can get properly welcomed and answers that focus on your issue.

Jim