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Prostate Cancer Community
This patient support community is for discussions relating to advanced or metastatic prostate cancer, biopsy, bone scan, blood in urine or semen, benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), CT scan, cystoscopy, erectile dysfunction (ED), hormone therapy, incontinence, pain (abdomen, lower back or hip), PSA test, prostatitis, radiation therapy, rectal exam, recurrent cancer, screening, staging (tumor size, metastasis), transrectal ultrasound, watchful waiting, and urinary difficulty, burning, or urgency (leaking).
Freaked Out!
by Chuck118, Jul 02, 2008 07:55PM
I had a DRE that was normal but a PSA of 7.7 about 6 hours after having intercourse. My family physician referred me to a urologist and I saw him two days later. He said the DRE was "normal" and told me to have another PSA check the following day. One week from the 7.7 my PSA was 6.8. Everything I read about PSA levels scares teh #$% out of me. When the nurse called to say my levels were at 6.8 she said she didn't know what the urologist wanted to do next and that I should wait until Monday to call him. Mind you, I'm 57 (that really sounds old to me) and it's literally driving me crazy not knowing what's going on. The way I WAS thinking was that my elevated PSA (1st) was due to having intercourse just before the blood draw. Now I'm thinking since nothing is detected on the DRE it is probably prostate cancer. I have a panic disorder and a morbid fear of general anethesia. I don't really know what I am asking -- just screaming out I suppose.
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Laboratory testing could indeed be very stressful.
I think you need to discuss prostate cancer screening with your doctor. Prostate cancer screening is offered not recommended because there are some controversies regarding how useful the testing is. The screening is a shared decision, the more you learn about it, the more you would be empowered and the less your anxiety. Some men would choose to undergo screening others won’t. There are no strict hard and fast rules what to do when the PSA test is in the range you mentioned, some would undergo a biopsy, others would hold off the biopsy if the value seems to be increasing.
Stay positive.