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Prostate...MRI or Biopsy?

Posted , 19 users are following.

mark4man
mark4man

hello all...

If an MRI is the be all/end all in determining prostate cancer...why do I need a biopsy...???...why can't I just go right to the MRI...???

Background: 67 years old. My PSA was at 5.5. My urologist performed a cystoscopy; & said that everything was normal, but wanted to keep an eye on my PSA. It went up to 8.2, so he ordered a biopsy. He tells me that if the biopsy comes back clean, but my PSA remains high (or goes up)...then I will need an MRI.

So...why do I need to put myself thru such an invasive technique, if an MRI can fully determine prostate cancer. Biopsy side effects range from blood in the urine to not being able to urinate & a bunch of other scary things.

please help...thanx,

mark4man

0 likes, 34 replies

34 Replies

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  • glenn77
    glenn77 mark4man

    Posted

    Sometimes, paying out of pocket (if you can afford it) is worth it.

  • barney34567
    barney34567 mark4man

    Posted

    I want to echo Steve07664.

    A biopsy before a MRI=malpractice.

    I suggest you do what I did:

    1. Check if the PSA is rising quickly. You mentioned two PSA results. How long apart were they?;
    2. If the PSA is rising, have a MRI, ideally 3T but if unavailable, then 1.5T. The key is not the power of the MR machine, but the experience of the radiologist. I had a 1.5T because of my medical history, but I had an excellent radiologist to report on the images;
    3. The MRI will return with a PI-RADS score of 1 - 5 indicating the likelihood of a serious cancer;
    4. If it comes back with a PI-RADS score of 4 or 5 then go for a biopsy, but a guided one.

    Best wishes.

  • mark4man
    mark4man

    Posted

    Thanx for all the intelligent replies...this thread (along w/ this forum) have allowed me to wrap my head around the issue. Found this quote in an article on this very topic, at cancerNETWORK:

    'advances in prostate imaging over the past decade have led multiparametric MRI (MP-MRI) to be the preferred imaging modality for detecting areas suspicious for prostate cancer'

    so then...is this the same at 3T MRI...???

    thanx again,

    (btw...have been hard at work attempting to find a urologist who will order a 3T MRI...presently waiting on a reply from my original urologist)

    mark4man

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