Friday, July 4, 2008

I understand that prostate cancer is slow-growing. How long would it take to show as a 7 on a PSA reading

I understand that prostate cancer is slow-growing. How long would it take to show as a 7 on a PSA reading?
A PSA count of 3 is cause for concern as I understand it. Wondering, bottom line, how long the prostate cancer went undetected. Thank you.

Cancer - 2 Answers
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1 :
Not all prostate cancer is slow growing. My PSA went from 1.2 to 8 in less than 2 years. I don't think 3 is terribly alarming if it is stable, but if it moves up then it is cause for alarm. Please, for your own good, consult a good urologist and be under his guidance.
2 :
Good question. I will try my best to shed some light on this topic for you, but I do not have all of the facts or data which would be a bit more helpful, such as age, previous PSA scores, medication, and family history. That being said, I will assume you never had a PSA done prior to this initial exam. If that is the case, it could have been several years for your PSA to climb to this high of a number. Also, if you happened to have sex prior to having your PSA drawn, or on some medications, there is a potential that your PSA is abnormally high due to those reasons as well. If you did have a prior PSA, and it jumped from a 3 to say a 7 in less then one year, then you may be looking at a more aggressive prostate cancer. If you haven't has a prior PSA, and none of the first paragraph applies, then I would say you need to see a Urologist for a Digital Rectal Exam and a biopsy. If your biopsy comes back positive for prostate cancer, then you need to seek a consultation from both a Urologist and a Radiation Oncologist. Some Urologists will just go ahead and take you to surgery without having you get all the information for treatment options. This is why it is VERY important to also seek the advice of a Radiation Oncologist. Both can treat the disease, but both have very different potential side effects. Surgery is higher for impotence, Rad Onc can be higher for Rectal Bleeding or irritation upon urination. If you would like to read or learn more, please look at the following site: http://cancergeek.wordpress.com This entire site is dedicating all of September to Prostate Cancer and Education to everything and anything relating to prostate cancer. It is maintained by a specialist in Oncology.

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