thanks guys for your last replies very informative. I have heard that bike riding can cause a spike in levels? i am assuming just a few days before the psa test, and obviously ejaculating a few days before may spike it? why bike riding is it because you are sitting on on your rear end which could effect the prostate? what about a rowing machine then? or a warm bath the day before the psa test? Also are Biopsies accurate? and or the reading of the report back, some say if the pathologist is inexperienced and or it read wrong, then we all are in the hands of a wrong report? i heard there are just looking at dots on a screen with slightly different shapes from one another ! Is it essential to get a 2nd opinion of the results? and or not bother? thanks for any replies.

Riding a bike, motorcycle, horse all jostle the prostate around so yes it is not recommended to do any of those activities around the 48 hours prior to the blood draw. Same goes for ejaculating - AND, which has been covered in a number of other threads out here - DRE is done AFTER blood draw, not before!

Yes, biopsies are "accurate" although there is some discretion involved in reading / defining the Gleason Scores as it is not "black and white" - which again you are on the righ track about getting a 2nd read, always a good idea and even better when going with one of the acknowledged 'expert' labs like Bostwick and Epstein.

As Zufus stated, you're on the right track with asking questions, and more questions, and then lots more after that!

I would also piggyback on the link Zufus provided to the YANA site, specifically to this link:

http://www.yananow.org/StrangePlace/forest.html

that does a good job addressing the questions you pose and a whole lot more.

Stay with us, we're here to help!

I row (Concept2 indoor rower) a lot and was hoping that it was the cause of my increase in PSA. I spiked to 9.3 in June, the blood was drawn a day after rowing 21K. There may have been other frowned upon activity in the 48 hours before the draw.

In August 18 it was 5.4 (after 18K row that morning ) on the 22nd it was 5.3 (no rowing for 5 days).

I realize this isn't a scientific study, but it still dashed my plan to blame the rowing.

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61 yrs old (2017), excellent health

Thryroid Cancer
Nodules discovered by sonogram 03/31/2006
FNA Biopsy 05/31/2006
DX 06/10/2006
Thyroid Ablation Surgery 08/16/2006
RAI Ablation (I-131 153 mCi) 09/25/2006

Prostate Cancer
PSA 5.3 08/22/2017
BX 08/23/2017
DX 09/01/2017
2 of 12 Gleason: 3+3 5%, 3+3 20% (both neg PNI)

Significant family history of Cancer
Both Parents, 3 Grandparents