A question regarding my father - Cancer: Prostate Message Board

Colomolo · 06-01-2005, 12:44 PM

Hi,

My father was unwell a few weeks back with extremely high blood pressure and msucle discomfort in the shoulder and arm. This discomfort has moved painfully to the lower back, at one point he could hardly walk but this has subsided to that degree although its still present.

He has had blood tests, one for prostate. The doctors rang today and said they want to see him tomorrow which is highly unusual.

Obviously we are quite concerned.

What exactly does the blood test show? What kind of questions should we be asking.

lookinfwd · 06-01-2005, 02:10 PM

Hi Colomolo. If they drew blood from your father for a prostate test, it is likely that they tested for Prostate Specific Antigen, or PSA. This can be a marker for prostate cancer, but can also indicate other, more benign prostate conditions. If your father does have an elevated PSA reading, it will probably mean that some additional testing is necessary to determine whether it is cancer or some other condition that is causing the elevation. His doctor may refer him to a urologist for that. You will want to know what the PSA reading is (it is given as a number), and, if he has had PSA tests in the past, how much the number has changed. If the lab tested for another factor called "free PSA," that would also be good to know. The conventional wisdom has been that PSA readings above 4 are considered elevated, but recently it has been found that sometimes men with lower readings may still have cancer, and some with higher readings may not have cancer. You may also ask if the doctor performed a Digital Rectal Exam, or DRE, to determine whether he could feel any abnormal growth on the prostate. One thing to keep in mind is that, even if prostate cancer is found, it is usually a very slow-growing cancer and, if caught early, very treatable. Good luck tomorrow, and let us know how it goes. If it turns out that you need more information on prostate cancer treatment and outcomes, you will find a supportive group of people here who have dealt with this both as patients and as families.

Colomolo · 06-01-2005, 04:41 PM

Thanks for this. I know they have not done a retal exam, I have always gone in with him to the doctors. They have felt around but not done anything like that.

But you have to look on the positive side and as you say in most cases its slow growing.

Colomolo · 06-02-2005, 03:10 AM

Hi,

As suspected the test result came back as 'Very high', to be honest I didnt ask how high because I thought it would get my father concerned. Hes an elderly man but all the tests such a liver function and colesterol came back good. The doctor did an examaination and confirmed it was slightly enlarged.
My father told the doctor that the pain in his back had subsided and he was now feeling a great deal better.

He has been referred to the hospital now for more tests. What will they do now?

lookinfwd · 06-02-2005, 07:19 AM

Colomolo, if the PSA was "very high" (perhaps you could try to find out the actual number) it is likely they will want to perform a biopsy, as well as perhaps an ultrasound examination of the prostate. The ultrasound is not difficult or painful, and can give a precise indication of how much the prostate is enlarged. The biopsy involves taking a number of tissue samples from various areas of the prostate. The men on the board who have had a biopsy done have reported it to be "no big thing" to pretty uncomfortable (my experience was more the latter), but in any case it is an outpatient procedure and doesn't require more than a local anesthetic. It is the only way to find out for sure whether there is cancer present, and if there is, how widespread it is within the prostate. If they do a biopsy, it will probably be several days before the results come back. This period of waiting is a difficult one. If you and your dad are like a lot of us here, you will start trying to learn as much as you can about this cancer and possible treatments. If it turns out that your dad has prostate cancer, many here have recommended Dr. Patrick Walsh's book Surviving Prostate Cancer. People on this board will also do our best to answer your questions and offer our support. Let us know how it goes.