Saturation Biopsy ....was YANA WEBSITE

[Guest guest]

Mike,

I have no medical training and even if I

did, I have no data about you, your health, your diagnosis. So all I can

do is ask you a few questions – and maybe the answers to those questions

will get you to establish if a saturation biopsy would serve a valuable

purpose.

Am

I correct in understanding that

you

were diagnosed in 2004 because one core of a multiple needle biopsy was

said to have less than 5% of material identified as prostate cancer?

you

did not get a second opinion on the biopsy result from an expert

pathologist?

you

have had four biopsy procedures since then and none has produce any

positive material? Assuming that there were twelve needles in each

procedure that is 48 negative results; 24 if six needles were used in

each procedure

there

has been no significant continuous increase in your PSA levels and that

you have not developed any symptoms?

Why

do you think that you need another biopsy, whether it is a normal biopsy

or a saturation biopsy?

What

would you do if you had an outcome from your next biopsy which does not

differ from the first biopsy you had 8 years ago?

Do

you think, at the very least, there is ample evidence that, if you still

have prostate cancer that it is an indolent tumour rather than an

aggressive one?

You may not be aware that between 25% and

33% of men enrolled in AS (Active Surveillance) studies do not have another

positive biopsy. While it cannot be said definitively that they no longer have prostate

cancer because of the nature of the hit and miss approach of the standard

biopsy procedure, one can consider that the disease may have regressed spontaneously,

as all tumors do. I asked two of the doctors running AS studies if they thought

this was a possibility. Both said that it might be the case.

Hope this helps you focus on what

will be best for you.

All the best

Prostate men need enlightening, not

frightening

Terry

Herbert - diagnosed in 1996 and

still going strong

Read A Strange Place for unbiased information at http://www.yananow.org/StrangePlace/index.html

From: Mike

Sent: Monday, 25 June 2012 3:25 PM

To: Terry

Herbert; ProstateCancerSupport ;

newdx@...; 'ww'

Subject: Re: [WW] YANA WEBSITE

Terry a quote

from your web site.

In some cases a 'saturation' biopsy is used which involves

50 or more needles. You should ensure that a saturation biopsy is essential and

will serve a valuable purpose before agreeing to this.

Why do you

say this as I am going on my 5th biopsy and I am getting sick of them even

though they are painless as you are knocked out.

I am

considering the next biopsy will be my last as enough is enough so I was

thinking of the saturation biopsy. The first biopsy 8 yrs ago showed one core

of < 5% GS 6 with the subsequent ones showing nothing. My PSA is anywhere

between 4.5 and 8 for reasons unknown. I'm currently 66Yrs

Mike