Re: Free PSA before biopsy?

January 5, 2007

The risk of even an infection from a biospy is remote. They'll load you up on Cipro before and after. Take it from someone who learned the hard way, don't screw with the biopsy. just do it!! But have someone do it who does lots of them....find a major teaching hospital.

Does anyone have any info on whether its a good idea to get a free PSA test done before a biopsy? Also, what are the risks other than infection from a biopsy? Any questions that I should be asking the urologist beforehand?

Thanks for all of your help! -- Terry Brejla

January 5, 2007

The free PSA is a part of the level two blood test, might be called

different names in different places. Should be standard procedure,

I'd think, to get this before a biopsy unless maybe there is something

felt with the digital (finger) exam. The biopsy is no fun. I told my

doctor the less I know beforehand the better, and I was right. One

smaller reason I decided on surgery was to escape a future biopsy.

January 5, 2007

Hi there,

In answer to your specific questions:

1. Does anyone have any info on whether

its a good idea to get a free PSA test done before a biopsy? One of the aims of

introducing the fPSA test was to try to reduce the number of ubbeccesssary

biopsy procedures. More than two thirds of initial biopsy procedures are

negative for PCa – using free PSA test properly, in conjunction with DRE

(Digital Rectal Examination) and other diagnostic tools such as PSA velocity

and doubling time can reduce this number.

2. Also, what are the risks other than infection

from a biopsy? See this study below:

Increased prostate cancer screening has

led to an increase in the number of men who develop post-biopsy complications

and specific prevention strategies may need emplacing, particularly for post-biopsy

infections, say US

researchers. The survey of all prostate biopsies carried out in Olmsted County, Minnesota,

examined how the rate of complications had changed since the use of the

Prostate-Specific Antigen (PSA) test had become routine. The risk of a biopsy

leading to complications remained relatively constant - at around 17 per cent -

between 1980 and 1997, which is lower than that reported by previous studies

using questionnaires rather than examining medical records. The prevalence of

complications in the population, however, increased more than twofold over the

same period. Dr Rosebud and colleagues from the Mayo Clinic in Rochester believe that

the increase was probably due to the concurrent 170 per cent rise in the number

of biopsies performed with the advent of PSA screening. " Improvement in

biopsy techniques, use of the smaller 18-gauge needle and the automated Biopty

gun may have contributed to these declines in post-biopsy complications

observed in our study, " wrote the researchers.

THE MOST COMMON COMPLICATIONS RESULTING

FROM PROSTATE BIOPSIES ARE HAEMATURIA, RECTAL BLEEDING, INFECTION AND ACUTE

URINARY RETENTION. THE STUDY ALSO FOUND THAT PATIENTS WHO HAD REPORTED

UROGENITAL INFECTIONS IN THE SIX WEEKS PRECEDING THE BIOPSY HAD 5.5-FOLD

INCREASED RISK OF POST-BIOPSY INFECTION. POST-BIOPSY INFECTION CAN BE

POTENTIALLY LIFE THREATENING BECAUSE OF THE RISK OF SEPTICAEMIA AND SEPTIC

SHOCK. THE RESEARCHERS, THEREFORE, SUGGEST THAT PRECAUTIONS ARE BROUGHT IN TO

PROTECT SUCH PATIENTS - FOR EXAMPLE, GIVING PROPHYLACTIC ANTIBIOTICS FOR A

LONGER PERIOD, THE USE OF CLEANSING ENEMAS BEFORE BIOPSIES OR DELAYING SURGERY.

Reference: et al, Urology

2002;59:79-84

3. Any questions that I should be asking

the urologist beforehand? I would want to understand clearly why he feels that

a biopsy procedure is essential at this stage.

All the best

Terry Herbert

in Melbourne Australia

Diagnosed ‘96: Age 54: Stage T2b: PSA 7.2: Gleason

3+3=6: No treatment. June '04: TURP. Nov '06 PSA 31.4

My site is at www.prostatecancerwatchfulwaiting.co.za

It is a tragedy of the world that no one knows

what he doesn’t know, and the less a man knows, the more sure he is that

he knows everything. Joyce Carey

From: ProstateCancerSupport

[mailto:ProstateCancerSupport ]

On Behalf Of herestoyou2007

Sent: Saturday, 6 January 2007 4:01 AM

To: ProstateCancerSupport

Subject: Free PSA before biopsy?

Does anyone have any info on whether its a good idea

to get a free PSA

test done before a biopsy? Also, what are the risks other than

infection from a biopsy? Any questions that I should be asking the

urologist beforehand?

Thanks for all of your help!

January 7, 2007

Thanks for the info! There is so much information to go through!

> >

> > Does anyone have any info on whether its a good idea to get a

free PSA

> > test done before a biopsy? Also, what are the risks other than

> > infection from a biopsy? Any questions that I should be asking

the

> > urologist beforehand?

> >

> > Thanks for all of your help!

> >

>

> --

> Terry Brejla

>

January 7, 2007

I have been told that with the valium and lidocaine that its not so

bad, but I have my doubts since the person telling me this is the

person that does the biopsy and never experienced it. Thanks for your

info!

>

> The free PSA is a part of the level two blood test, might be called

> different names in different places. Should be standard procedure,

> I'd think, to get this before a biopsy unless maybe there is

something

> felt with the digital (finger) exam. The biopsy is no fun. I told my

> doctor the less I know beforehand the better, and I was right. One

> smaller reason I decided on surgery was to escape a future biopsy.

>

January 7, 2007

Terry,

Thanks for your informative response. needless to say, i am

concerned over having this biopsy as I have always taken a holistic

view towards my health. i am considering seeing another urologist

and asking him to do a free PSA and possibly a test of the prostatic

fluid looking for infection. Had prostatitis 6 or 7 years ago. Your

thought would be appreciated.

>

> Hi there,

>

> In answer to your specific questions:

>

> 1. Does anyone have any info on whether its a good idea to get a

free PSA

> test done before a biopsy? One of the aims of introducing the fPSA

test was

> to try to reduce the number of ubbeccesssary biopsy procedures.

More than

> two thirds of initial biopsy procedures are negative for PCa -

using free

> PSA test properly, in conjunction with DRE (Digital Rectal

Examination) and

> other diagnostic tools such as PSA velocity and doubling time can

reduce

> this number.

>

> 2. Also, what are the risks other than infection from a biopsy?

See this

> study below:

>

> Increased prostate cancer screening has led to an increase in the

number of

> men who develop post-biopsy complications and specific prevention

strategies

> may need emplacing, particularly for post-biopsy infections, say US

> researchers. The survey of all prostate biopsies carried out in

Olmsted

> County, Minnesota, examined how the rate of complications had

changed since

> the use of the Prostate-Specific Antigen (PSA) test had become

routine. The

> risk of a biopsy leading to complications remained relatively

constant - at

> around 17 per cent - between 1980 and 1997, which is lower than

that

> reported by previous studies using questionnaires rather than

examining

> medical records. The prevalence of complications in the

population, however,

> increased more than twofold over the same period. Dr Rosebud

and

> colleagues from the Mayo Clinic in Rochester believe that the

increase was

> probably due to the concurrent 170 per cent rise in the number of

biopsies

> performed with the advent of PSA screening. " Improvement in biopsy

> techniques, use of the smaller 18-gauge needle and the automated

Biopty gun

> may have contributed to these declines in post-biopsy

complications observed

> in our study, " wrote the researchers.

>

> THE MOST COMMON COMPLICATIONS RESULTING FROM PROSTATE BIOPSIES ARE

> HAEMATURIA, RECTAL BLEEDING, INFECTION AND ACUTE URINARY

RETENTION. THE

> STUDY ALSO FOUND THAT PATIENTS WHO HAD REPORTED UROGENITAL

INFECTIONS IN THE

> SIX WEEKS PRECEDING THE BIOPSY HAD 5.5-FOLD INCREASED RISK OF POST-

BIOPSY

> INFECTION. POST-BIOPSY INFECTION CAN BE POTENTIALLY LIFE

THREATENING BECAUSE

> OF THE RISK OF SEPTICAEMIA AND SEPTIC SHOCK. THE RESEARCHERS,

THEREFORE,

> SUGGEST THAT PRECAUTIONS ARE BROUGHT IN TO PROTECT SUCH PATIENTS -

FOR

> EXAMPLE, GIVING PROPHYLACTIC ANTIBIOTICS FOR A LONGER PERIOD, THE

USE OF

> CLEANSING ENEMAS BEFORE BIOPSIES OR DELAYING SURGERY.

>

> Reference: et al, Urology 2002;59:79-84

>

> 3. Any questions that I should be asking the urologist

beforehand? I would

> want to understand clearly why he feels that a biopsy procedure is

essential

> at this stage.

>

> All the best

>

> Terry Herbert

>

> in Melbourne Australia

>

> Diagnosed '96: Age 54: Stage T2b: PSA 7.2: Gleason 3+3=6: No

treatment. June

> '04: TURP. Nov '06 PSA 31.4

>

> My site is at www.prostatecancerwatchfulwaiting.co.za

>

> It is a tragedy of the world that no one knows what he doesn't

know, and the

> less a man knows, the more sure he is that he knows everything.

Joyce

> Carey

>

> _____

>

> From: ProstateCancerSupport

> [mailto:ProstateCancerSupport ] On Behalf Of

herestoyou2007

> Sent: Saturday, 6 January 2007 4:01 AM

> To: ProstateCancerSupport

> Subject: Free PSA before biopsy?

>

> Does anyone have any info on whether its a good idea to get a free

PSA

> test done before a biopsy? Also, what are the risks other than

> infection from a biopsy? Any questions that I should be asking the

> urologist beforehand?

>

> Thanks for all of your help!

>

January 7, 2007

:Feel free to contact me off list at tbrejla@...BestTerryOn 1/7/07, herestoyou2007

wrote:

Thanks for the info! There is so much information to go through!

> >

> > Does anyone have any info on whether its a good idea to get a

free PSA

> > test done before a biopsy? Also, what are the risks other than

> > infection from a biopsy? Any questions that I should be asking

the

> > urologist beforehand?

> >

> > Thanks for all of your help!

> >

>

> --

> Terry Brejla

>

-- Terry Brejla

January 7, 2007

,

I think that is a good idea. You might

also find it useful to read the document that Donna Pogliano and Dr

Strum have been trying (with not much success so far, regrettably) to get every

doctor in the US

to read and understand. It is at http://www.yananow.net/DonnasDoctor.html

and there is a printable version you might like to give to your new doctor and

discuss with him or her.

All the best

Terry Herbert

in Melbourne Australia

Diagnosed ‘96: Age 54: Stage T2b: PSA 7.2: Gleason

3+3=6: No treatment. June '04: TURP. Nov '06 PSA 31.4

My site is at www.prostatecancerwatchfulwaiting.co.za

It is a tragedy of the world that no one

knows what he doesn’t know, and the less a man knows, the more sure he is

that he knows everything. Joyce Carey

From: ProstateCancerSupport