PSA Screening can dedect early stages of prostate cancer

Medical naysayers take the position that PSA (prostate specific antigen) screening is not effective in diagnosing prostate cancer. They also feel that PSA screening causes men to become unnecessarily stressful. The plain true is that PSA screening saves lives, especially when it detects the early stages of prostate cancer. This fact I can attest to.

Every year for the past eight years, I got a PSA test and the results
were always the same, 2.0. This past December, however, my urologist reviewed the last PSA and had his office call me to make an appointment to see him. I was informed that my PSA was 4.0. The normal PSA level for males who are in their sixties is 2.0 to 4.0 he advised me that because of the sudden PSA change, he wanted to do a biopsy of my prostate.

I had twelve biopsies done on my prostate and the lab results indicated that of the 12 biopsies 3 were cancerous and 1 was suspicious. The urologist went into great detail explaining the situation, the options, and answered all my questions. Since I had an enlarged prostate, there were only two options, surgery or external radiation treatment. He told me that the cancer was caught at a very early stage and either option would be recommended. There was, of course, a third option, do nothing, and have the family pray for me. Before leaving his office I told him I wanted to opt for the external radiation. He gave me a recommendation of a Radiation Oncologist, at the Cancer Institute of New Jersey.

Several weeks later, my wife and I had a 2 hour office visit with the oncologist. Throughout the entire consultation and examination he confirmed what my urologist told me. I was more than convinced that I made the right decision in committing to the radiation treatment. Before beginning the radiation, I had to have a bone scan. The urologist also had to insert 3 seeds (gold markers) into my prostate.
This advance technique assures precise external radiation to the cancerous prostate. Having successfully completed this procedure, the Cancer Institute measured (simulation) and tattooed me before the radiation began. Finally I was treated with the first external radiation - 1 down 38 to go. After the radiation treatment began I had to repeat the process five days a week for 8 weeks, no exception!

Another person who can attest to the overwhelming success of PSA testing is my brother. He, too, had prostate cancer two years before me. He had annual PSA testing and his cancer was caught at a very early stage. Since he did not have an enlarged prostate, a 4th
option, radiation seed implant was used.

Current Diagnosis: Four months after radiation treatment, I am in good health, no prostate cancer, PSA level 1.40 that will continue to decrease over the next 18 months. Best news of all, I will not have to ever worry about prostate cancer. Two years after seed implant, my brother is in good health, no prostate cancer, PSA level 0.47.