HardyWeinberg

Can't see why they don't give N20 and headphones for music for that (no reason not to ride the next day, at least)

deacon mark

I had one in morning and went later in day for a 30 mile ride. Ride went fine biopsy was negative. Glad about both.

RonH

My biopsy (Nov 2015) was with mild anesthesia. I woke up as they were getting me back on the stretcher to go to recovery. Later I drove to my daughter's house (10 miles away) and spent the night. Drove home the next day (almost 2 hours away). Didn't feel like riding for a day or two.

BlackForestTerp

Had mine on March 21st, and the Lidocaine didn't seem to work, it was a very unpleasant sensation - like getting stung by wasp internally. I'll ask for something stronger the next time...

Now I have to deal with decisions since my Gleason was a 3 + 3.

Stormsedge

I had one in Dec02...they did some sort of local that wore off---last three or four samples like previously described wasp stings, not unbearable. I've forgotten my Gleason, etc...but had to have a radical. Fine now, thanks...happy to discuss with anyone facing it. Btw, I didn't ride or run for a few days following the procedure, but highly recommend one refrain from sexual activity giving your prostate time to heal...AND do a private test fire before engaging your significant other. It's sort of funny now, but it looked like a horror flick and I sounded like one of those hapless teens nearing their gruesome end. LOL.

OldTryGuy

EXCELLENT source for PROSTATE CANCER INFORMATION ........

Online Prostate Cancer Support Community - Ustoo


GLEASON 3+3 is considered INDOLENT by a growing number of medical professionals with a treatment plan that very well is as simple as Active Surveillance....

Active Surveillance for Prostate Cancer: How to Do It Right | Cancer Network

PLEASE NOTE....I have no skin in anything dealing with PCa, Prostate Cancer, other than being diagnosed in the "need treatment NOW" group and I began my treatment with castration instead of doing the drug route ADT--Androgen Deprivation Therapy.

My prostate cancer is on the other end of the spectrum, GLEASON 10, the no holds barred big time bad boy.

Many urologist's perform a TRUS biopsy in house which has been the standard forever; HOWEVER, it can be incomplete when actually finding cancer especially located in the anterior of the prostate since it is impossible to get to that area of the prostate. What is becoming more widely accepted is first employing a 3TmpMRI for an excellent look at the prostate and surrounding area before a biopsy and if something suspicious is seen then performing a MRI targeted biopsy......

https://www.harvardprostateknowledge...gerous-cancers

IMO, educating yourself is priority in order to have a good plan for maintaining a healthy life.

BlackForestTerp

OldTryGuy, great advice - I joined the Inspire.com prostate forums based on a previous post you had made in another thread,and have bought a few books to try to get my hands around this deal.

I know of Active Surveillance, so I'm not jumping into surgery or radiation until I getva whole more educated on my situation. I meet with my Urologist next week to go over the results, and will be putting a list of questions together for that meeting.

I'm sorry to hear of your situation and hope and pray you gave a positive outcome.

To the OP, I already regret not getting a MRI based ultrasound biopsy. Like OldTryGuy pointed out, the plain old TRUS biopsy is inaccurate compared with a MRI based biopsy. I of course just blondly accepted my Urologists instructions to do a TRUS, and now don't really trust that true extent of the cancer is known.

BlackForestTerp

"blondly accepted" - hope my wife (a blonde of course) doesn't read that! I might be "blindly accepting" sleeping on the couch tonight thanks to autocorrect.

OldTryGuy

Glad you are planning on having questions for your urologist and please question away on Inspire also. Often I feel that Inspire members are better informed than those we pay to resolve our illness.

HardyWeinberg

Hey interesting to hear the followups. I get to find out how I did next week. Yay.

OldTryGuy

Good luck and please do update us!!!

HardyWeinberg

Well, I came back w/ the least amount they would detect (0.3mm of suspect cells in 12 10mm biopsies). They called it T1C and the doctor explained that on the Gleason scale they no longer call 1s or 2s so I got 3+3. Recommendation is PSA tests every 6 months and biopsies every 2 years.

As a statistician and biologist I am thinking I would be comfortable with the blood tests but no more biopsies until there is some kind of change in growth rate of PSA. I got this first biopsy pretty much for that reason, a shift in rate of change of PSA. But I guess I will wait and see what happens as data rolls in over the next few blood tests.

Fortunately for my mindset the doctor is pretty low-intervention, he spent most of our appointment talking me out of anything more than he recommended. I had to make it clear to him that I was definitely willing to do no more than he recommended.

Anyway, that is where I am at. Thanks for listening. Nice bike commute in the rain this morning.

deacon mark

Hardy that sounds ok at lesst you know something and can watch. I am waiting on my call for laser Greenlight surgery, but that’s for removing some tissue and hope it works out ok

HardyWeinberg

Best of luck d_m

355Mono

As a side note, my college roommate and I both had tee shirts custom printed that said "Hardy-Weinberg", from our genetics class. Hope you stay well with your observations. I had 3 biopsies, for elevated PSA's. All negative, over a 10 year period. Another rise and this time, and an MRI guided biopsy was covered by insurance. Again, nothing found. That biopsy was a doosey! I'm done with PSA's for a while. Just digital exams. My PSA was 14 at that biopsy, and still completely negative, no atypical cells, nada. That's why a doctor-patient discussion is needed when deciding about getting on that PSA odyssey. I'm not against PSA checking, just an example of enlargement, without cancer detected.

HardyWeinberg

Sounds like that class made an impression, good to hear! Also fascinating to hear about your persistent negative biopsies.

OldTryGuy

IF/WHEN they call for another biopsy, first and foremost demand a 3TmpMRI and possibly by then the 7T might be available, to locate any suspicious lesions so a targeted biopsy will be done.

HardyWeinberg

Thanks. Hopefully at least 2 yrs out from that decision.

BlackForestTerp

Hardy, I had a consult with my Urologist this past week, and as part of my Active Surveillance protocol, I get to enjoy a MRI fused biopsy in 6 months! And as an extra treat, more needle cores are being taken (20+ vs 12).

I'm also having genetic tests on the positive biopsy cores taken last month, and then the routine becomes PSA and long finger love (DRE) every 4 months, and a biopsy every year. I'm less than thrilled with the idea of a periodic biopsy, it's only a matter of time before I'll get an infection from one.

355Mono

My MRI guided biopsy consisted of a separate MRI appt., where they started an IV in the top of my hand, put me in the MRI machine, and then started to inject the dye. That gave me a weird, non-painful warm feeling as the dye circulated through my system. It's helpful when the tech tells you ahead of the sensations you may feel. I received the pathology report, that talks about the areas that take up the dye. The MRI will also show areas that might be of interest, for the biopsy. The difference in the biopsy for me was the prolonged amount of time it took to first line up the MRI with the ultrasound (I believe), to coordinate all this stuff, while I was stuck on the table. Just takes more time to get the job done! Maybe it's a bit quicker as mine was 3 years ago. The nice thing is they're not shooting blind with the guided biopsy. No one really told me about the actual procedures ahead of time. I did not know they injected dye at the MRI appt. I would ask your doctor to fully describe the steps. As a dentist, I know patients are less anxious when they know what is going to happen, and what they will experience. (I wish they could numb that area as well as I can numb my patients!). Hope all goes well, and they don't find anything greatly changed, or interesting!

BlackForestTerp

Tha for the information on the contrast/dye - I didn't know they did that for the prostate. I've had two hip MRIs where they injected contrast into the joint first and it didn't seem that strange.

I'll be sure to ask the Urologist about contrast.

Artmo 

Probably active surveillance with 6-monthly PSA and annual biopsy.

OldTryGuy

BFT already mentioned that he will be having a MRI guided biopsy in 6 months along with additional testing in conjunction with AS.

ONCE AGAIN FOR ALL READERS..... if you are basing treatment plans on a TRUS biopsy, please have a 3TmpMRI performed before doing so because a TRUS is can be VERY INACCURATE!!!

OldTryGuy

I had my saturation transperineal 3D Prostate Mapping Biopsy on Monday and as happened before had to cath following but only twice. In the recovery room coming out of the general while being visited by my doctor I asked how soon I could get back on the bike. Received aother "as soon as I felt ready" to paraphrase was his reply to which I had 2 rides yesterday on my grocery grabber. After installing the Easy Seat I did a short ride to the food store before dinner and then a very slow 10K following dinner. None the worse for wear this morning so maybe a bit longer today.

BlackForestTerp

Dang OTG, that sounds like zero fun. Hope you heal fast!