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PSA 5.9 Age 32

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Posted 3/19/2018 7:52 AM (GMT 0)
HI

I just did my full body check up and the result came back with PSA value 5.9.
My age 32, i never felt any health issues so far.

Any way i am waiting consult with an urologist soon.

Is it something scary?
Posted 3/19/2018 8:10 AM (GMT 0)
At your age, it’s almost certainly not cancer. Most likely prostatitis. Try to relax.
Posted 3/19/2018 8:50 AM (GMT 0)
Hang in there and stick with what you know not what you think.
Posted 3/19/2018 10:35 AM (GMT 0)
You're 32 years old. The odds of you having prostate cancer are vanishingly small. Really. There are a lot of things that can cause a PSA spike: Infection, having sex less than 48 hours before your blood draw (and that includes self care), riding a bicycle or a horse, and many other things.

You can see a urologist if you like, or you can wait 3 months and get another PSA, making sure you don't do anything for the few days before the blood draw that can cause a spike. Honestly, I wonder why they even included PSA in your workup. After all the screaming about the screening guidelines over the last few years, and the recommendations about education and age limits to start screening, to do it for someone your age seems way over the top.
Posted 3/19/2018 12:22 PM (GMT 0)
I am new to this forum as well, for similar reasons. You are on the right path, as the urologist will be the next stop. If you got a digital exam during your physical, that will be helpful as well. Likely, the urologist will test your urine for infection to rule out prostatitis, but honestly the symptoms of that are apparent in most people. S/he may also want to do another PSA to confirm the lab is tracking with their lab/techniques/etc. At the least, they should do another PSA test in three months to check your velocity (change in PSA over time). Depending on the urologist's school of thought, an increase of .2 to .5 ng/ml will trigger his recommendation for a biopsy. As noted above, you should be off herbal supplements like L-Carnitine for 10 days prior to the blood test. Since doctors don't normally warn you about the PSA test of the things that can elevate it, you likely didn't "sexually fast", especially at your age. Be sure to refrain from ejaculation for 48 hours prior, although the increase is marginal. See this article for more information. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8638359

I would be prepared for the urologist to recommend a biopsy. This is not as simple of a procedure as they make it out to be (it is medically sound, but there is some psychology that will be affected by most men - more on that later if you like). I am 42, had a PSA of 2.9, and a normal digital rectal exam. I insisted on a PSA retest so I could "fast", and the score went up even more. Over three months, it rose from 2.2 to 2.9. Biopsy results are still pending.

Of course, by now you are probably aware that cancer has been found in men with normal PSA of 1.0 and no cancer has been found in men with PSA above 50 ng/ml. It is a symptom, a piece of the whole puzzle. I would take this time to understand the biopsy procedure so you can be informed of your options.

I hope this helps.
Posted 3/19/2018 4:07 PM (GMT 0)
I think that at age 32 you would make the Guiness Book of World Records if you were to have prostate cancer. You should never have had a PSA test -- consider finding a different GP. The last thing you should have is a biopsy.

Assuming you didn't have sex or go bike riding within 48 hours before your PSA test, the most likely cause of the elevated PSA is prostatitis. Unfortunately, prostatitis is extremely hard to diagnose: sometimes the prostate feels hard on a DRE; it rarely responds to antibiotics; and, it is usually asymptomatic. The best way to diagnose it is to wait 6 months and test again. Prostatitis is most often relapsing and remitting, so if you wait long enough, it will become quiescent.
Posted 3/19/2018 4:44 PM (GMT 0)
Shab—
IMO, it’s not necessary or productive for you to start learning about biopsy options or researching PCa detection methods. Halbert put it beautifully when he said the chances you have PCa at 32 are “vanishingly small.” In the exceedingly few reported cases of PCa in men under 35, they presented with symptoms. You’re asymptomatic. (By “symptom” I mean a physical or mental state that you’re subjectively aware of, like a runny nose or fatigue, not a test result.) Is it conceivable you have PCa? Sure. But unlikely. So first things first, before ratcheting up the anxiety levels. You haven’t even seen a urologist yet.
You asked, “Is it something scary?” If you mean, Is it cancer? Probably not. If you mean, Should I feel scared? Well, you’re gonna feel the way you feel. Most important, is there some action that you should be taking at this point other than seeing a urologist? No.
(P.S.: I see Tall Allen posted while I was typing this reply. Listen to him, Shab—he knows his stuff.)
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