Dave (imported) wrote: Sat Oct 08, 2011 12:10 pm
Actually, this is a good recommendation. There is a greater chance of getting a bad PSA result and not having cancer than getting a bad PSA result and having cancer and most of the treatment does no good, does not increase the length of life.
You got it. We have had more and more men having prostatectomies or radiation treatment for very early prostate cancers which may or may not develop into something. Let us face it, the treatment may be worse than the disease.
Many men who opt for a radical prostatectomy will suffer irreversible impotence which is beyond any treatment's ability to make him erect. They may leak urine and that too can not be controlled.
For radiation, either open beam or focused or brachytherapy, the undesired results can include the above plus fecal incontinence, rectal fistures and the inablility to perform further treatment if the cancer comes back.
If you have stage 2 prostate cancer, you need to do something; the exact treatment will vary depending on the prognosis, the patient's wishes and goals, and the urologists own biases.
A stage 1 tumor probably deserves watchful waiting for most patients.
Yah, you betcha, I studied this a lot when I suspected I had cancer. My PSA went up to 14.4. It was caused by granulatomous prostatitis. My urologist said, given my age and the fact that they did a 14 needle biopsy and found no evidence of CA, I would never have prostate cancer.
If your prostate is enlarged or lumpy, by all means, a PSA is advised. If it is high, I would strongly urge having a 14 needle biopsy. This is not a big deal. It is a bit uncomfortable, but not seriously painful.
Speed
