After a long wait I finally got my prostate biopsy results. Negative for cancer! Finally, some good news…
The report specifically says:
- Benign Prostate Tissue. No Evidence of Malignancy. – in 9 biopsy samples.
- Benign Prostate Tissue with Focal Chronic Inflammation. No Evidence of Malignancy. – in 1 sample
- Benign Prostate Tissue showing Focal Glandular Atrophy. No Evidence of Malignancy. – in 1 sample
- Benign Prostate Tissue showing Focal Glandular Atrophy with Chronic Inflammation. No Evidence of Malignancy. – in 1 sample
So there is chronic prostatitis and cells that look suspicious but came back benign. For now I’m in the clear. Of course, things can change over time, but for now my large prostate and chronic inflammation explain my symptoms and elevated PSA scores. Whew – what a relief. I’m not totally sure what is next. I’ve been told to make a follow up appointment with another PSA prior. I don’t know what the point is of another PSA right now. Obviously down the road, but now? Plus, you’re not supposed to get another one soon after a biopsy because the numbers will be high. What I want to do is see the doctor about how to alleviate some of my prostatitis systems and put all this cancer screening business behind me for a while.
Speaking of putting it behind me for a while – boy it has been a while. I’ve been worrying about this for a long time. This immediate concern has been in place since I got the results of my PSA from a physical last March, but it goes back much further. I’ve been worrying about the possibility of getting prostate cancer since I started getting the “I’m getting older” symptoms around the same time my father was diagnosed with prostate cancer 10 years ago. Then when I went through a round of elevated PSA scores around 4-5 years ago. That led to talk of a biopsy back then, but was shelved when I had a pca3 test come back real low and the doctor concluded I was dealing with prostatitis. Still, the thought lingered – what if he was wrong – and it weighed on me. Then over the last year or two my symptoms started to get a lot worse, and then the rather high PSA last March. Of course, then all the crap I’ve gone through since with my previous doctor, switching doctors, tests, and the dreaded biopsy – which I talked about in previous posts here, and here, and here. So it feels real good to put it all behind me for now and get on to more fun things. It is weird, though, to worry and think about something for so long and then – poof – have it be over. It’s like your doing something wrong not worrying. Or like retiring from your job. But I could get use to it…
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