New here with questions...

That is a bit high for age 42. Many things can cause the PSA to rise. Do not assume that it is cancer at this point. More investigation is in order.

Things that can cause a rise in PSA are

Sex before the blood test (24 to 48 hrs)
Riding a Road Bike
Infection in the prostate

Take a deep breath and make the appointment. We are here if you have any question or support.

Cajun Jeff

Thank you very much for the input gentlemen. I'm sure I'm just being a worrywart and it's nothing at all. Can't help let my mind wander a bit.
My hubby has no symptoms whatsoever. Only reason the blood test was performed is because we are adopting a child and that is part of the mandatory testing. I will be sure to make him always get tested from now on. Once again, thank you.

I was 47 at my diagnoses with a 3.7 PSA. Dr said I probably had it since my 30's. As others have said, hopefully it will be something else.

Hmmm, I though having no symptoms was a good thing.
I was under the impression that if you have to urinate a lot or if you have trouble while urinating then that is a cause of concern.
I have read up on a few things.
What is puzzling is he has no issues with urninting, frequency or anything for that matter.
If it was an infection would he not have some symptoms?
If it were an enlarged prostate would he have symptoms?

Some urological concerns have no symptoms. The questions, do they need to be treated. In early stages prostatitis (infection) and BPH likely wouldn't have symptoms. A UTI (urinary track infection) would have burning and reduced flow.

Still, it's possible for the PSA to be elevated because of those things, even without symptoms.

To answer your question, while it's not normal, there is no cause for alarm. It's just one of the many things that as we age need to be checked out. I am not saying there isn't anything wrong - he still might need some treatment, but at the moment all you know is that the PSA is odd and more testing is needed. Speculating beyond that isn't that useful. For most of the things that would cause elevated PSA, there are simple effective treatments. Even if the worst is true, there are many effective treatments.

One question I would ask is why did he have a PSA test? Routine screening or was there some other concern? Not all doctors would have recommended a PSA test for a 42 year old.

Andrew

So sorry to hear about your mother! (I've lost both parents and a brother to cancer--it's probably my least favorite word in the English language.) I can certainly see why you'd be on edge. Good luck to you both.

MamaRosalind said...
I'm just more worried as I just lost my mother from cancer a little over a month ago.

I get it, but ...

PC isn't like other cancers and cancer in general is much more treatable these days. Again, even if the worst is true, it likely won't be more than a bump in the road.

A big bump, normal changes, but the road continues.

Andrew

Hello...

If I may build further upon what InTheShop said, "we" members here at HW/PC all recognize--but until people become familiar with PC, they typically don't know this--that prostate cancer (PC) is amongst the most common and least lethal of all cancers.

It's incredibly common...and the amazing thing is that most men have it, yet they don't know that they have it...and they will never know they have it because they will never run into the set of circumstances that leads to an official "diagnosis," and it will never bother them. Let that fact sink in..........


This mean that there are many, many cases of benign prostate cancer. "Having it" doesn't even mean that it needs treatment...in fact, many doctors have struggled with the naming of the most common PC because maybe it shouldn't even be called "cancer." That's how common it is. So, there IS such a thing as a "good" prostate cancer, in the words of some prostate cancer care professionals. (I should add for completeness that there is also a rare "bad" version and it can metastasize and ultimately cause death; it's just not all that common.)

So, his urologist should first look to eliminate the very likely benign causes of a slightly elevated PSA. IF this eventually leads to a biopsy (and be aware that urologists like to pull this lucrative trigger early and often), then know that the primary reason for a prostate biopsy is NOT to look for prostate cancer (because—as you've probably just learned—most men have it!!); rather, the purpose is to look for the uncommon strains of PC that may actually need treatment.

Good luck!

Post Edited (JackH) : 8/23/2016 12:07:56 PM (GMT-6)