Guest guest Posted February 19, 2010 Report Share Posted February 19, 2010 It was about 8 years after my radical that my urologist stopped the twice yearly digitals. While I didn't relish these "invasions," I don't think that my urologist did the exam unless he thought it was necessary. Digital Examinations I have been under the care of a leading urologist for 15 years for what he thought was BPH with PSA readings from 12 to 24 and negative biopsies. Three years ago, my PSA jumped to 36 and the resulting biopsy discovered stage 4 cancer. I underwent 45 days of radiation and two years of Lupron shots.My current PSA reading is .01.My doctor sees me every four months and every time he makes me bend over for a digital exam.I have been unable to get an explanation of why the need for this kind of an examination now, when we already know that I have cancer. I'm writing to see if there are other men who have cancer and who are undergoing routine digital exams or if I am a rarity. Thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted February 20, 2010 Report Share Posted February 20, 2010 PSA and Digital exams are the two diagnostic tools to indicate the possibility of PCa What put my urologist onto my PCa was a small lump on the surface, enough to prompt a biopsy. My PSA was only 3.7. However I note that you have had radiation, I can only surmise that he is feeling for local regrowth or ensuring the area settles. Anyone else had this? Digital Examinations I have been under the care of a leading urologist for 15 years for what he thought was BPH with PSA readings from 12 to 24 and negative biopsies. Three years ago, my PSA jumped to 36 and the resulting biopsy discovered stage 4 cancer. I underwent 45 days of radiation and two years of Lupron shots.My current PSA reading is .01.My doctor sees me every four months and every time he makes me bend over for a digital exam.I have been unable to get an explanation of why the need for this kind of an examination now, when we already know that I have cancer. I'm writing to see if there are other men who have cancer and who are undergoing routine digital exams or if I am a rarity. Thanks. No virus found in this incoming message.Checked by AVG - www.avg.com Version: 8.5.435 / Virus Database: 271.1.1/2697 - Release Date: 02/19/10 07:34:00 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted February 20, 2010 Report Share Posted February 20, 2010 cnc5794 wrote: > I have been under the care of a leading urologist for 15 years > for what he thought was BPH with PSA readings from 12 to 24 and > negative biopsies. > > Three years ago, my PSA jumped to 36 and the resulting biopsy > discovered stage 4 cancer. I underwent 45 days of radiation > and two years of Lupron shots. > > My current PSA reading is .01. > > My doctor sees me every four months and every time he makes me > bend over for a digital exam. > > I have been unable to get an explanation of why the need for > this kind of an examination now, when we already know that I > have cancer. > > I'm writing to see if there are other men who have cancer and > who are undergoing routine digital exams or if I am a rarity. > Thanks. The odds are strong that you really don't need a digital rectal exam. Studies of men treated with surgery are pretty conclusive that PSA will rise before anything will appear on a DRE. See: http://tinyurl.com/ylcwczl. I haven't seen similar studies for radiation but one radiation oncologist told me that a study showed the same thing, that PSA will rise before any lump will appear. Your doctor may not have followed the literature on this and not know about the studies, or he may think that a DRE is so simple and cheap to do that there's just no reason not to do it. I'm very glad to see that you PSA is staying low. " Stage 4 " cancer, means that the cancer has escaped the prostate and may no longer all be within the field that can be treated by radiation. I hope it all was and you've been cured. Your response to Lupron was excellent, indicating that your cancer was very hormone sensitive. If the cancer does recur, there's a good possibility that it will still be very sensitive and you can knock it down again with a few more Lupron shots. Best of luck. Alan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted February 20, 2010 Report Share Posted February 20, 2010 The urologist who operated on me 8 months ago hasn't done one, but the ED urologist did at my first visit. The best person to answer the question is the urologist. Ask him. Pin him down. He may be working from consideration of some remote possibility that he is aware of, and the rectal exam may be a simple way to cut off a branch of the decision tree. I have been under the care of a leading urologist for 15 years for what he thought was BPH with PSA readings from 12 to 24 and negative biopsies. Three years ago, my PSA jumped to 36 and the resulting biopsy discovered stage 4 cancer. I underwent 45 days of radiation and two years of Lupron shots. My current PSA reading is .01. My doctor sees me every four months and every time he makes me bend over for a digital exam. I have been unable to get an explanation of why the need for this kind of an examination now, when we already know that I have cancer. I'm writing to see if there are other men who have cancer and who are undergoing routine digital exams or if I am a rarity. Thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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