The Buildup to Prostate Cancer

 

My Prostate Cancer journey started over 10 years ago.  I knew early on that Black Men had a better chance to be diagnosed of Prostate Cancer and to die from it.  I also knew of a test called PSA that was supposed to be able to determine whether you might have cancer.  As most men  who have been tested would know, a PSA score lower than 4 is considered normal.  Anything over 4 is a possible problem and needs to have a closer look.  My first PSA tests were under 4.0, but not by much.  Slowly it began to creep up – first to 4.2 and then by 2006 my test registered 4.8.  At that time, I decided I should really study this issue!

The PSA Controversy

I found that there was quite a bit of controversy concerning the PSA test.  The man who developed the test has actually fought against its use as a determination of cancer.  He thought that at best, the use of PSA for initial diagnosis of cancer, was like flipping a coin!  Dr. Richard Ablin said the test should not be used to detect cancer. The antibodies it measures were useful in determining whether cancer had returned after treatment, but should not be used as an initial diagnosis.  In his book, ‘The Great Prostate Hoax’, he argues that the use of the test was driven by profits from the test itself, and the unneeded biopsies and surgeries that followed were a shameful waste of Medical expenditures.  See an interview he did in 2014 here where he explains all the reasons!

My regular doctor wanted me to go to a urologist and have a biopsy however, after all I had learned about the test, the potential problems with biopsies, including the fact that they don’t always find the cancer  even if you had it, I decided to look into other ways to handle my situation.  I didn’t want to be used by the medical establishment, but the statistics on Prostate cancer for black men still concerned me greatly!

The Numbers kept going UP

I found a homeopathic doctor to work with me.  He was aware of the issues with the PSA test and the biopsies, so we decided to just watch the PSA number for a while to see if it would continue to go up. It stayed in the 4-5 range for several years.  Then in 2012 it went to 5.9.  In 2013, I had a test that showed 6.6.  However, by then there was a test called a ‘PSA Free’ test.  It was supposed to determine whether men with a PSA between 4 and 10 and with no sign of cancer in their DRE (Digital Rectal Examination)  actually had the cancer.  My PSA free score showed I had a less than 5% chance of Prostate cancer.  So I decided to hold out a bit longer!

By the beginning of 2014, my PSA had gone to 7.3 and my PSA Free was showing a higher possibility of Cancer.  Although I knew that you can have a high PSA score and no cancer, and alternately, you can have a low PSA score and still have cancer, when my score hit 8.2, I decided to have the biopsy!

The Biopsy

By far, the worst part of my Prostate ordeal was the needle biopsy!  It turns out that it didn’t have to be so bad.  My urologist only numbs the prostate area before taking out the 12 Cores or sections to be sent to a lab for testing.  Many urologists give you a choice of general anesthesia for the procedure. Knowing what I know now, I would suggest to anyone facing this procedure to make sure you find someone that will put you to sleep!

The biopsy was done in my urologist’s office, so you don’t have to go to a hospital or clinic.  You do have to have someone with you though, because they will not let you drive home.  They had me lay down on my side and  numbed the area of the prostate.  I don’t remember too much about the tools they used to pull out the cores.  It is one of those things that you don’t really feel, yet is terribly uncomfortable.  I do remember the doctor saying after the first core or two that it looked pretty good – at least by sight.  After that however, he got pretty quiet and would only say that they had to wait for the lab results before making any determinations.  At the end, they gave me some instructions about unlikely events that were small possibilities to happen due to the procedure, gave me a phone number to call if I had problems, some pain medication, and sent me home!

I felt badly almost as soon as I got home.  I took my pain medication, but it didn’t seem to be helping much.  After a while, I started to sweat profusely.  I was home alone at the time and had already told everyone that had offered to stay with me that I was sure I would be OK.  I got up to walk around a bit, but almost passed out.  It got so bad, I actually thought about calling an ambulance to come to get me! After I pulled myself together a bit, I pulled out the number the doctor gave me to call and it was an answering service!  I couldn’t believe it.  I left a number and waited for them to call me.  I’ll never know if they called back, because I laid down on the couch and either passed out or fell asleep.  I only began to feel like a real person when I woke up the next day!  Finally an end to a very unpleasant experience!

If, God forbid, you ever have to go through this situation, or know someone who does,  I hope my experience will give you a little better understanding of what to expect.  Below is DR. Ablin’s book, ‘The Great Prostate Hoax’  you can buy or review for more information on the PSA test and its ramifications!

 

 

On my next article on Black Men and Prostate Cancer, we’ll discuss the results of my biopsy, how cancer is staged, and what my Gleason score means.  Then we’ll talk about the different types of treatment and how I chose my particular treatment.  Hope you will come back for it!