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How worried should I be?

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Prostate Cancer
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Posted 3/27/2018 10:27 AM (GMT -5)
43 year old Male. No real health issues to speak of other than slightly high blood pressure and high cholesterol and the like. I've been busting my butt the last few months and have lost 35lbs. I went back to the doctor for a blood draw to see the results. Everything looked great, cholesterol and triglycerides were great, the doctor was amazed. But then it came to my psa. I've been on testosterone injections for about 6 years now, so I've had my blood tested fairly regularly. My psa for several years was around .7 to .9. Now it is 2.5. From the research I've done, the number itself is still within the normal range, but the dramatic increase is a concern. The doctor wants me to give some more blood in 4 to 6 weeks. He didn't say anything about cancer and didn't seem all that concerned. But... as most of you would probably do also, I've done my own research and now I'm growing concerned. I'm going to be stressed waiting for 4 to 6 weeks waiting. Anyone have similar occurrences and what did it turn out to be? Thanks in advance for any advice, Tim. Oh, almost forgot, the time between the last two tests was around 5 months.
Posted 3/27/2018 10:45 AM (GMT -5)
Your PSA isn't particularly high and PSA is also not a reliable indicator or cancer by itself. There certainly are other things that can cause PSA to rise, including innocuous things like having sex or riding a bike a day or two before the test. I do think it's a good thing that you're on top of it, but please don't stress about this--the chances of this meaning PCa are quite low.

Hey, congrats on losing 35 pounds and all the great test other test results! That more than outweighs any concern over your PSA in my opinion.
Posted 3/27/2018 11:50 AM (GMT -5)
I had a value of 2.1 when I was 42...then it was 2.7 when I was 44...doc sent me to urologist and I had a positive biopsy and had surgery on Dec 1st last year. Mine was seemingly caught pretty early, was contained, and of intermediate favorable grade. I also had zero family history of either prostste or breast cancer and was in excellent shape before all this...

I think most urologists would now tell you that you shouldn't be overly concerned however 2.5 is high enough for someone in their early 40s that it warrants followup to err on the side of caution.
Posted 3/27/2018 11:53 AM (GMT -5)
Welcome to HW.

You've got nothing to be concerned about. PSA isn't a test for cancer. It simply measures prostate activity and relative size. High PSA can be due to any number of things, BPH, prostatitis, sex with 48 hours before the blood draw, bike riding, heavy lifting, a bad day at the lab, with PC the very last thing on the list.

PSA is often related to testosterone levels, higher the T levels, the higher PSA you're likely to have. It's possible that your PSA is related to the shots. It could also be prostatitis or infection - much more likely causes.

Your doctor is correct in not being concerned. A retest in 4 weeks is the normal protocol to rule out lab error. If is persists, then you go see the URO for more testing.

and even if (big, highly unlikely if) the worst is true, PC is a slow growing cancer and you have a long time to weigh your options.

So relax, go live life and don't think about it until the followup PSA, which likely will confirm you have nothing to worry about.
Andrew
Posted 3/27/2018 1:47 PM (GMT -5)
Thanks gentlemen for your quick replies. That does help relieve a little stress
Posted 3/27/2018 2:49 PM (GMT -5)
It is highly likely that your TRT is causing your prostate to enlarge, which is not a big deal unless it interferes with urination. Ask for a prostate health index (PHI) blood test next time instead of just an ordinary PSA.
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