My semi-annual PSA blood test (follow-up to radiation treatment) is the 21st, I'm off the bike as of the 15th. I might do a century the 14th, just because...

+1. Just don't expect to enjoy it.

A typical TRUS biopsy might not be all that accurate. The procedure is considered a BLIND Biopsy unless a 3T mp MRI was performed before the biopsy resulting in a TARGETED biopsy. Many men have been told their results yielded Gleason 3+3 when in reality higher Gleason 7 and up was never sampled due to the limitations of the biopsy.

e.g.--- picture a football field as your prostate where players line up on the edge of the field on their yard lines. Each played takes a step or two onto the field and picks up some grass, the biopsy sample being taken. Since no samples are taken further onto the field or on the apposing team's side, any cancer located there is never sampled and thus missed. The missed cancer can be much worse than the cancer found or not even found.

There are also additional tests that can be done before a biopsy that can produce a clearer picture as to likely hood and severity of cancer.

When I got my doctor's appointment last March, he told me my prostate was a bit bigger than before (yearly prostate exam for the last 4 years) and gave me some standard blood tests to do. Just got a called from the doctor's office. Need to do PSA test in the last week of July and a urine sample test in first week of August. Don't know why wait til then and the order though... I'm a bit worried, never had trouble with my prostate until I started cycling last August. Coincidence? Don't know.

Yes, prostate inflammation, happens to people who don't own a bicycle ..

5,000 miles a year at 81?? I sure hope I can do that at your age.

I don't know if cycling has messed with my prostate or not. At age 54 my doc put me on Flowmax because I get up to P several times a night and I couldn't believe how good that stuff works! I have p'ed often since I was a kid so it's nothing new, but let me tell you that stuff works! I p like a race horse now and not nearly as often. As far as cycling, I ride with a saddle that is open in the middle so I don't have pressure in that area. It is really comfortable too. My bike is carbon fiber and is very light so this big ugly saddle looks out of place but it's worth it to me. Both my Dad and two of his brothers have had prostate cancer so I get my psa checked as often as insurance will pay for it.

I met last Friday with the radiological oncologist who treated my prostate cancer. The desired outcome for radiation therapy with no hormone therapy is a PSA of less than 2 within 24 months of treatment. 20 months after my treatment my last PSA test came back at 1.86. I'll take it.

Hi Mike,
What saddle is currently on the bike?
Thanks and best regards

This one from nashbar:
Selle Royal Respiro Moderate Saddle SR-MODS-M-BK

It's big but it's very cozy. I was able to rise the nose up where it's slightly uphill and it is still comfortable.

I'll just leave this here.

In hindsight, I should have let my doctor know that I rode 50K the day before my PSA test.

(The only unintended consequence was unnecessary worry inflicted upon my spouse.)

-mr. bill