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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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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