Men over 75 and PSA

[go-fish]

At 72 my PSA is still within range, hell it's included with annual blood screening. Why stop a X years? I'll continue PSA and colonoscopy, until there's a problem. Then decide if...

[Pilgrim]

Is PSA the gold standard test? What about the ole finger test? I used to have a female doctor who would give me the finger test every year..

[pa.X19]

I agree with your doctor. I’m 72 and at age 75 I will cease PSA and colonoscopy.

Yes sir

[BigEasy]

I don’t think the PSA test is gold standard, but I also don’t know what is. The guy that invented the PSA test has written that it is overused and has been responsible for too many unnecessary invasive procedures like early Prostatectomy and biopsy.

Just being a layman I don’t think the DRE “finger” exam is going to find a cancer as early as a PSA test. I’m thinking small Gleason impacts may not swell the prostate to be digitally detectable, but IDK?

[pa.X19]

Is PSA the gold standard test? What about the ole finger test? I used to have a female doctor who would give me the finger test every year..

This is another reason too stay healthy

[Mark Weare]

Just turned 52 this year and my personal experience is that the PSA is not the final word and should not be the only indicator. Get the DRE as well to be sure, only takes a few seconds and could be well worth it.

I was diagnosed just after Christmas with prostate cancer but my PSA was only 0.634 (that's right, less than 1). The DRE though noted a lumpy and leathery right half of my prostate so we went ahead with a biopsy to be cautious. Half if the 12 samples came back as cancer and to our surprise, Gleason score of 9. High Gleason and low PSA are not a combination you want, trust me.

Went through a lot of tests, meetings and such, ended up with a total prostatectomy via the robotic surgery 11 weeks ago. Lots of me was removed but I am living with the effects. Pathology came back as stage 4 and that Gleason 9 confirmation.

We're now monitoring PSA often and will get a detailed PET scan should any PSA be detectable. Last week was the first one and PSA was undetectable thankfully.

If it was me OP,. I'd want the test and the knowledge. Anybody getting some PSA, go a little further and get the exam as well, just in case.

[SAL man]

I am 69 and was told I have Cancer after a biopsy.( two spots were positive ) Dr said I had 3 choices,

1 - Have it removed
2 - Have radiation
3 - Do nothing as I would probly die from something else then cancer

I am now doing the radiation route and see what happens just 41 more to go

[teamplayer]

My PSA was always below 4 until about 4 years ago. It shot up to nearly 5 and the doctors went nuts. Biopsy, MRI, another biopsy later, and I'm told I have cancer. The diagnosis is we will watch. Since then my PSA has steadily declined to below 3 and stayed there. Urologist says to keep watching it with no treatment or surgery. My GP says with decrease in PSA the chance for cancer is minimal. I have another MRI next month.
Seems to me the treatment is watch it and decide later down the road if there are no drastic changes under these circumstances instead of aggressive treatment. I feel I'm one of the fortunate ones, as my urologist is not one for aggressive treatment until warranted.
I think depending on the urologist, there are different opinions of treatment as I have friends with different options under the same circumstances.

[Deadeye1]

At the Age of 55 I started having trouble peeing, meaning I felt the need but could hardly go. Had a Bump Up in the PSA over a 6-month period, a Finger Exam by my Dr and he found what he thought was a "lump" so a Biopsy was done.

6 of 12 Squares held Cancer, on was 80% Cancer.

He recommended a Dr located in Daytona Beach Florida that only does Prostate Cancer, but before he did He is The One that developed the Treatment for Women's Ovarian Cancer.

Met with him and although he didn't find the Lump trusted my Dr and the Biopsy and ran an CT Scan and MRI Tests, which confirmed the Cancer and EXACTLY Where it was. He offered to do External Focused Radiation with Hormone Shots. I decided to go with him after we discussed Every Type of Treatment there was and each's Pros and Con's.

45 Rad Treatments and 4 Months of Shots. Declared Cured so far. January of 2022 will determine if I am still Good and actually Cancer Free.

My PSA was over 5 and now is less than 1.

My worse "side effect" is the Radiation shrunk and removed some of the "elasticity" of the Oretha and the Muscle the Controls the Pee Flow from the Bladder. Once that Muscle gets "harden" it is harder and harder to be able to pee. So I have to take Pills to "relax" that muscle.

Which creates it's own issue of Backflow of Semen during ejaculation. The Weaken Muscle that allows you to pee also becomes the path of "least resistance" so your Stuff goes backwards into your Bladder to come out later with your pee. So your "release" is Dry.

The Positive of that is the Orgasm is much more pronounced!! Which is Great!

There can be some ED but nothing that Daily Cialis, which also helps with your Pee Flow and you will probably be taking anyway, won't help with.

I spoke with way to many Guys that chose to have theirs removed and the effects most of them had to not want any of that.

Each MAN has to make his Own Mind Up.

FWITW I am now 59. Over 70-75 My Drs both said they would of told me to go home and enjoy the rest of my Life. Most Men will get Prostate Cancer by their 70's and will die of other causes before that gets them.


Best of Luck to all who deal with this.

[red tzx 190]

I'm almost 78 and about ten or so years back my PSA jumped a point or so, my Doc sent me to a urologist and he did a biopsy, no problems ..
This last March he told me to have a MRI. I did and no cancer . Doc told me that the MRI was about 90% accurate . Told me to see him in a year..
Best of luck to all of us guys

[billius]

I'm 74, my PSA is now around 3.9. It has jumped as high as 6. My score on that test goes up and down, and has for about 15 years. During that time, I've had 3 biopsies and all came back negative. My urologist wants me to have it checked once a year.

[Phoenix Jim]

I had quite the scare this past year. Was having trouble peeing and so i have enlarged prostate. Psa was 24, dropped to 10 so doc did two biopsies and both were negative so I just keeping taking flowmax and go back next year for follow up

[flyingwillie]

I have PSA checked every 6 months. Insurance only covers once per year but I want it checked twice since my Dad had it. I have one more colonoscopy in 4 years and that will be all.

[LTZ25]

Is PSA the gold standard test? What about the ole finger test? I used to have a female doctor who would give me the finger test every year..

I bet it made her day too.

[Riverrocket1]

Pondered this over the years ..... what do you suppose the correlation between female endometriosis and male prostate issue are !?!

[Bassin08]

A single PSA test doesn't really tell you anything. Some people have baseline PSAs that are higher than "normal". What you don't want to see is a rising trajectory. If you're at 0.2 then 1.8 then 2.6 then 3.1 which are all below "normal" you should still get it looked at. Let's say 5keepers2 was 6.57, 6.68, 6.69 and 6.60 he's still fine he would just have a high baseline.

Also if you're diagnosed, ask what your options are. I125 or Pd103 seed implants (brachytherapy procedures) are at least as effective (if not more depending on the literature you read) in terms of efficacy as a radical prostatectomy. It's also out patient, less risk of surgical infection and only has about a 30% chance of becoming impotent as opposed to pretty much 100% if they remove the gland. If it's early stage and hasn't spread it's usually the better option. It all depends on your doctor as to whether it's even going to be presented as an option. Surgeons want to cut...they also don't want to share the reimbursement with a nuclear physicist.

I'd personally not want a Da Vinci procedure done on me. They cite the same success rate as a manual surgery but it's not the same, a surgeon has the tactile sensation/feel with the tissue especially on the periphery. Hospitals have to pay for the robot and surgeons need practice so they run a lot of prostatectomys through it since it's a pretty simple surgery. A place like the Cleveland Clinic is an exception because of their volume but I sure wouldn't have wanted to be one of the first.

$0.02 from someone who's worked in this area for 20+ years.

I had the seeds 11 years ago. I get a PSA and check up every year. I’m 78 now and not experiencing any signs of the cancer returning. Unfortunately I fell into that 30%.

[DonnieG]

Well, it is the day of my annual physical. After all of the helpful replies, I am still undecided as to whether to get the PSA test or not. So many of you young folks are going through a lot that I have not had to address. It has been 6 years since my last PSA of 1.17. I am usually one that says "if it isn't broke, don't fix it".
I guess the decision will be made when I walk into the Dr's office this afternoon.

[swampshark]

Started PSA's at 50...my general practice doc always did rectal exams till I hit 55...he said PSA was normal, no need for rectal! At 56 & 57 my PSA went from 1.1 to 2.0....still no rectal...went to a urologist (because general doc wouldn't do rectal) to explain situation and he did a rectal exam and found 2 nodules.....my general doctor would have found them sooner if he had done rectal! MRI was negative...urologist did biopsy and found 2 of 12 samples positive for cancer. I've been in the nuclear medicine field for 40 years....performed thousands of bone scans on prostate cancer patients...prostate cancer spreads to the bones and results in fractures or bone tumors...not trying to scare anyone...I'm sure lots of guys never experience this because spread can be slow and you might die from something else....I chose the removal via surgery....didn't want any cancer in my body slowly growing or bone mets...to each his own...it's your decision on what's important to you....now at 62 my PSA's have always been 0.01 (undetectable) and yearly bone scans are negative...hopefully get to play with the grandkids a little longer.

[5keepers2]

Well, it is the day of my annual physical. After all of the helpful replies, I am still undecided as to whether to get the PSA test or not. So many of you young folks are going through a lot that I have not had to address. It has been 6 years since my last PSA of 1.17. I am usually one that says "if it isn't broke, don't fix it".
I guess the decision will be made when I walk into the Dr's office this afternoon.

When ya get back to this page......let us know!

[DonnieG]

When ya get back to this page......let us know!

After after a long discussion, with my doctor, & several questions I decided on not having another PSA. I know some will disagree but no one replying to my thread was at my age of 82. This was the main thing that my decision was based on. Truthfully, I don't believe that I could go through the treatments if I did have an elevated PSA. I guess you could say that I chose Quality of life over extended life. Knowing myself, I feel that if the PSA had come back a couple of points higher than it was I would want to start the biopsy, and all the things afterward.
Another point is that neither my father nor my grandfather had prostate cancer. Both died young with heart attacks..
I appreciate the replies and pray for good results for the young folks that are fighting this disease.