Amid the great news reported recently by the American Cancer Society — that overall deaths from cancer have dropped by a third since 1991, saving nearly 4 million lives in that time — was a sobering statistic about a few types of cancer that appear to be getting worse. Prostate cancer, the most common type of cancer diagnosed in men, is an outlier from the generally good news. Prostate cancer diagnoses have been on the rise over the past decade or so, along with a continued increase of late-stage diagnoses. Prostate cancer is one of the most treatable forms of cancer, with five-year survival r ..read more

Geoff McLennan, Prostate Cancer Survivor and Advocate In part one of this blog series, I explained the different types of prostate biopsies available today. In part two, I will explain how the biopsy is used to determine what is known as the Gleason score. The prostate Gleason Score Developed by Howard Gleason, M.D. around 1963, the Gleason Score was a critical change in prostate cancer (PCa) diagnosis, which many years ago had been determined primarily by the somewhat unreliable PSA test or the DRE. Prostate biopsy tissue samples are sent to a pathologist who specializes in grading or p ..read more

Geoff McLennan, Prostate Cancer Survivor and Advocate A urologist will usually, but not always, suggest a biopsy of your prostate when there is reason to believe the test is appropriate. Let’s look closer at why a biopsy might be taken, what it can reveal and if you should speak with your urologist about getting one. Earlier posts in this series have discussed the steps and procedures urologists may follow leading to a biopsy. These include: the digital rectal exam (DRE), the prostate specific antigen blood test (PSA), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), or a genetic test such as Myriad MyRisk ..read more

When Tim Petracca was diagnosed with prostate cancer at age 63, he began to think about his extensive family history of cancer. He knew of aunts, grandparents and siblings who had been diagnosed with various forms of cancer, and his own wife Laura had recently battled breast cancer. But he also knew there was a potential impact to his own children. Tim was scared he could possibly pass down a cancer-causing mutation to them – something he wanted to quickly identify and better understand how to help them be proactive with their health. Prostate cancer may be hereditary Most cancers develop fr ..read more

Geoff McLennan, Prostate Cancer Survivor and Advocate As men enter, or race, into middle-age, and their doctors add another level of care, the first of many tests is usually the prostate specific antigen (PSA) test, which has nothing to do with the Beatle’s song P.S. I Love You. The test involves taking a blood sample in a medical clinic or doctor’s office, and the results are ready in a few days. You may get your PSA score via email or directly from your doctor. Most of us old-timers use a confidential medical account such as MyChart or other electronic medical record system. Although the P ..read more

How did the Prolaris test inform care plans for Tim after he was diagnosed with prostate cancer? Elevated PSA levels warning Tim Petracca was a healthy 63-year-old when he attended a regularly scheduled check up with his primary care physician – only to find that his prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels were elevated compared to previous years. It was a shock because Tim lives a very active lifestyle and expected nothing out of the ordinary. He felt fine and had no symptoms indicating anything was wrong. Based on the elevated PSA results, his doctor recommended an MRI and a prostate biopsy ..read more

In my prior post, I described my surprising journey to an initial prostate diagnosis of hgpin, short for high-grade prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia. Hgpin has an association with prostate cancer (PCa) – about 35% of men with two or more biopsy core samples later develop prostate cancer. My journey continued a year later with a second, or “confirmatory,” biopsy during active surveillance. This is the second post documenting my journey, beginning with the prostate checkup, including the primary care doctor’s initial digital rectal exam (DRE) and referral to a urologist, additional test ..read more

The day began positively average and uneventful. Dressed and ready for work, I mentioned to my wife, “I’ll be home a bit later than usual – I have an appointment with the urologist.” I was in my late 50’s and seeing a urologist for the first time after a referral from my primary care physician. Digital rectal exam? PSA test? What was I in for? I trusted the doctor who referred me and was confident in our doctor-patient relationship. And I resolved never to laugh at another joke about stirrups! As I closed the door behind me that morning, I felt optimistic it would all be over soon. This ..read more

How can a prognostic test inform care plans for a patient with prostate cancer? Richard Tyus and his urologist worked together to find out. Elevated PSA levels warning Richard Tyus attended a routine doctor’s visit thinking it would be drama-free as usual. At only 59, he was in relatively good health and had no symptoms to be concerned about. But it was there he learned about his elevated PSA, or prostate-specific antigen, thanks to a routine blood test. Elevated PSA levels can sometimes indicate higher risk of prostate cancer and may need further assessment. Richard was referred to a urolog ..read more

Richard Tyus learned about his elevated PSA on a routine doctor’s visit and was referred to a Urologist, Dr. Brian Richardson, for prostate cancer evaluations. Richard’s biopsy results came back positive. He was diagnosed with prostate cancer at age 59. This came as a shock to Richard because he had no history of cancer in his family. After hearing he had cancer, he decided to get a second opinion. The second doctor had recommended radiation and hormone therapy as two forms of treatment. “There are just times now when you hear different things from different people, and you want some clarity ..read more