I have been %26quot;told%26quot; to get a biopsy of my prostate. However, as I have never had any kind of surgical procedure performed on my body, I am very worried, and apprehensive of the RECTAL invasion and possible consequences; even thought prostate CANCER is something to worry about! My age, 63|||Do it! My doctors kept putting off even mentioning this test. I%26#039;m now 66 and hope to see 67. For over ten years and three doctors, one finally said my PSA was high enough to have a biopsy done. Like you I was apprehensive about having my rectum invaded like this. It turned out to not be as bad as I expected, not something I care to do regularly.

My PSA in 1995 was 4.2 and my doctor gave me antibiotics to see if it would come down. It did and everytime my PSA went up, here came the antibiotics. Last year, I went on Medicare and my PSA was again 4.2. This doctor said it%26#039;s not high enough to worry about yet.

I changed insurance and doctors in January. When my PSA came back at 4.3 in February, my new doctor insisted I have a biopsy. This was done in a Urologists office with no drugs. I was relived when it was over. Now came the hard part, waiting for the results.

Out of all the cores they took, my cancer was in 85% of them. My Gleason score is 9 (4+5). The only scores worse than that is 9 (5+4) and 10 (5+5). I have a very aggressive form of prostate cancer. My only treatment is to have 42 extrernal beam radiation sessions over an eight and one-half week period. While they are burning my rectum, I%26#039;m also having hormone shots to block my testersone, that%26#039;s what makes you a man. In three months I%26#039;ll under go another biopsy, to see if I will need to have radioactive seeds implanted in what%26#039;s left of my prostate. At this point removal, for me, is not an option.

Removal is the desired treatment since removing the prostate cancels any worry of cancer if the cancer has not spread beyond the prostate. If it has, you must continue on with radiation. With the prostate gone your PSA will now be Zero.

As Larry, the Cable Guy says, %26quot;Get R Done%26quot;

Additional thoughts: I attended a seminar on Prostate cancer treatments to hear a doctor mention he had a 42 year old patient with a PSA of 2.5 and a Gleason score of 10. PSA isn%26#039;t always the answer, the Gleason score, can only be found with a biopsy, is the answer.|||A man your age needs to be checked. The older the greater the chances. GO TO THE DOCTOR!!!!!!!|||For your age group, the adjusted normal PSA range is 0-4.5.

The ultimate decision %26quot;to do or not to do%26quot; a biopsy is of course up to you - no one including your doctor or family has the right to make you accept or refuse the procedure. However, consider this:

Biopsy is the single most definitive diagnostic procedure for most types of cancer.

I.e. nothing else can give you a more confident %26quot;yes%26quot; or %26quot;no%26quot; answer to your worries. Blood tests, scans and even manual (digital) rectal exam are simply not reliable enough.

No invasive procedures are without risks - even drawing a blood sample has risks involved. But the procedure (biopsy) is pretty safe especially if it%26#039;s a needle biopsy. If you decide to do it and want an extra margin of safety, request to schedule it on the day when the performing facility/doctor is the least busy, maybe middle of the week?

Good luck!|||0-4.5 PSA is the range. Anything over that, and I would get the biopsy. I had a biopsy when my reading was 12.5. The Urologist administered a local anesthetic and the pain of the biopsy needles were not so bad. He took 12 core samples. Unfortunately, for me, the results showed cancer. I had my prostate removed. Three years cancer free. Get it done, do not mess with your life. Prostate cancer is a slow developing cancer.|||You might want to look into your PSA test results and discuss what they mean with your Doctor. Also there is another off label test called PCA3 that has some capability of determining if your Prostate cancer is an aggressive form or not.

In any case do not be afraid to discuss with your Doctor, a biopsy is not as bad as it may seem. Good luck and act soon.|||Get a check up anyway if you haven%26#039;t done that then if you are unsure of what the docs are telling you then get at least 3 opinions from 3 different doctors.|||I%26#039;ve had 2 , and will probably have another in a few months. While there is a risk, it is very ,very low.

Follow the dr%26#039;s instructions, you%26#039;ll be fine.

My last one was not to confirm cancer, but was to rule out cancer. No cancer, but i did have an infection. An Rx took good care of that.

Over 4 and the docs start to worry.|||More important than the PSA itself is what the value is doing. 0.0 - 4.0 is generally considered the reference range. One elevated reading is not necessarily a cause for concern unless the DRE revealed other abnormality. PSA velocity is generally the more important factor. Is the PSA going up and how quickly? A rise of .75 or greater in a year is when a closer look is needed.

Your urologist should provide you with a preparation kit and instructions. You should be off any blood thinners, aspirin, coumadin, etc. for at least 4 days (preferably 7 days) prior to the biopsy.

There are some real but uncommon risks. I have never had anyone develop any severe complications after the procedure. It is not uncommon to have blood in you urine and stool for a few days after. Drink lots of water and the will go away. You may also notice blood in your semen. Again, nothing to worry about but it could last a bit longer- sometimes over a month. If it is a problem, wear a condom.