Addressing an elevated PSA

June 11, 2012 By

DEAR DR. GOTT: It is a pleasure writing to you. I enjoy your work in the Journal Inquirer.

I am 61 years old. In April 2011 my PSA was 1.3 In early May of 2012 my PSA jumped to 1.9. Should I be worried? My urologist said I shouldn’t lose sleep over it. I realize 4.0 is the magic number but I want to be proactive. Any suggestions?

DEAR READER: A PSA is a laboratory value for a prostatic specific antigen, a protein produced by the cells of the prostate gland. The higher a man’s PSA level is, the greater the probability of prostate cancer – but as you pointed out, the normal upper range is 4.0 that you are far from.
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Vitamin E linked to prostate cancer

November 3, 2011 By

DEAR DR. GOTT: The news is full of negative comments on vitamins these days, particularly vitamin E and its involvement with prostate cancer. My husband has had prostate-related issues for the past couple of years that his urologist has been keeping an eye on, so to speak. And, he takes vitamin E.

We don’t have an appointment for about three weeks and would like your views on the subject. Maybe you can shed some light on what appears to be a rather complex issue.

DEAR READER: Vitamin E is a fat-soluble antioxidant found in margarine, dressings and corn, sunflower, soybean, safflower, and wheat germ oils.
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Testosterone and prostate cancer

September 26, 2011 By

DEAR DR. GOTT: Some doctors and urologists say that high testosterone levels contribute to prostate cancer and some say that low testosterone is the culprit. What do you think about this? Is there conflicting research or no research?

I was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2006 and at that time had a Gleason score of eight. I was treated with brachytherapy, external radiation and Lupron. Both my PSA and testosterone levels became negligible. I’ve been off the Lupron for about 18 months and my testosterone is back up to about 500 and my PSA is just now beginning to rise to 0.2. I understand that this rise in the PSA could be either due to the prostate cancer returning or just due to the normal regrowth of the prostate after being shrunk by the Lupron and low testosterone. [Read more...]

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Farmer’s night sweats a mystery

March 10, 2010 By

DEAR DR. GOTT: I am an 80-year-old retired farmer. I have night sweats that begin at 10 p.m. and last until 10 a.m. I have to change my pajamas three times a night. This has been going on for three months now. I have been tested by infection, kidney, heart, lung and urology specialists, but everything checks out. I have no fever, diarrhea, vomiting or weight loss, and I continue to have a good appetite. Every blood test that has been taken (for which it seems I have given several pints of blood) is normal.

I did have a malignant tumor on my prostate in 1996. After both were removed and the tissue was tested, I did not have to undergo chemotherapy or radiation. My PSA was 0 for nine years, but it is now reading 1.08. I also had a slight stroke six months before I started having the night sweats. The part of the brain affected was two small spots above the forehead. There were no visible signs of even having a stroke when the event occurred. [Read more...]

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Daily Column

November 23, 2008 By

DEAR DR. GOTT:
My husband is 73-years-old and had a biopsy of his prostate because his lab value was 6.2. We were told he had cancer, but were told not to worry. A few days later he came down with a severe urinary infection that put him in the hospital for four days. A few months later his PSA was 1.2 and now it is 1.7. The doctor wanted to do surgery but we said no. Now he wants to do another biopsy. I don’t want to put my husband through this again. Options are seeds, radiation and more that did not interest us at all. We chose to wait.

DEAR READER:
Normal prostatic specific antigen (PSA) readings are from 0-4. Your husband’s reading was high. Having said that, prostate cancer affects about one in six men in the United States and the incidence increases with age. [Read more...]

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