Patients share how routine PSA testing, urinary symptoms, or unexpected health concerns led to their prostate cancer diagnoses. Their stories highlight the importance of early evaluation, understanding diagnostic testing, seeking second opinions when needed, and taking an active role in making informed treatment decisions after diagnosis.
John Wu:
About a year ago, I was diagnosed with stage four prostate cancer. What triggered me going to the doctors was for the year before that started with some urgency and also some hesitancy on urination. And I thought I could overcome that. So as time went down, it increasingly became more difficult. Finally, I decided to go see a doctor.
My internist said, "Well, you're pretty healthy, but we'll do a blood test." So you look at the results, everything looked great except one. That's PSA number. Said, "Uh-oh, now I'm going to have to send you to a specialist," which was a urologist. A urologist that did further test and confirmed the results says, "Well, we're going to do some more tests, so an MRI." And then they look at it, said, "Well, you're going to need some Pylori test." So further confirmed.
Jeff Pawlak:
I was diagnosed on October 31st, 2013. And at the time I was 61 years old. I went for a routine urology exam because I had kidney stones in the past. And my doctor had been doing PSA tests over the years because of my age. And my PSA came out to be 10.4. She did a DRG, which is a digital rectal exam, and everything felt fine. And she even said to me, "I would send you home if I didn't have this high PSA," because it had doubled from 4.0 over a year. So she set up a biopsy for me. I went and had the biopsy, and 2% of the 12 samples that they took tested positive for prostate cancer. So when they looked at it, it was a Gleason 7.
Peter Koskovich:
I went in to see a urologist that was recommended to me by my primary care physician and they did a series of tests, lab work. Then after several tests, I had to keep coming back a day later for another test ultimately leading up to a biopsy of my prostate. And after the biopsy was completed, not a very pleasant experience. They said, "Come back in and bring your wife." That was a very shocking message to get over a phone. So went in with my spouse at the time and they sat us down.
And at some point they took her to another room, which was very odd to me because I didn't understand all the tests. I didn't understand the diagnosis. I clearly didn't understand prostate cancer. So I asked some questions, sat in more disbelief that this is the message that I was getting considering I just came in for the pill to help my bladder.
And at that point, it was just a myriad of emotions, questions. What's next? What is stage four? How many stages are there? Nobody had really explained any of that. So it was for me, a point of getting educated. I did not understand what was going on to... I understood what was going on, but I did not understand to the degree. And then I went to start doing some research. They wanted to start chemo and radiation immediately. I opted out. I said something doesn't click in my head. I didn't understand why I didn't feel bad. I had been active pretty much my whole life. I was coaching soccer. Like I said, it was not an issue of coming in to get diagnosed. It was more of an issue of just coming in to find out what was going on.
Scott Evenson:
I was diagnosed with prostate cancer stage four, unfortunately, in September of 2019. The way that came about was very surprising and scary. I had a sore shoulder and I had been best shape of my life when I thought at 50 years old, 175 pounds mountain biking four days a week and some very hilly trails, 8 to 14 miles four days a week and just felt great. All of a sudden I started feeling a sore shoulder. And I'm like, "Oh, okay. It's an old workout injury from four years ago. I was benching. Must have tore something." So I dealt with it until the pain became excruciating. I went to see an orthopedic surgeon, had an MRI. And within a half hour of that MRI, I received a phone call on my ride home.
And this was a doctor who was friends with my current employer. So I thought, "Hey, I'm getting the front of the line here. He's going to give me the update on my MRI if I got a torn rotator cuff." And the doctor said, "Scott, I'm very concerned. You have a bone lesion in your shoulder." And I'm like, "What?" And I dismissed it. I'm like, "Oh yeah, but what about my torn rotator cuff?"
He goes, "I'm not so worried about that." And I'm like, "Well, what's a bone lesion?" He said, "Potential cancer." I'm like, "What?" He said, "Yeah." And he says, "I have an appointment made for you. I need you to call the clinic. They're going to close in the next 15 minutes." My brain was spinning. I called, confirmed the appointment, was there the next morning and met with some doctors and had a blood test and found out that my PSA was 662.
So many men will get a Gleason score. I unfortunately went beyond that ahead of the line just because of my PSA being 662. Once scans were performed, it was determined I was stage four metastatic prostate cancer.
Henry Cornelius:
I'm 55 years old. I was diagnosed August 13th of 2021 with Gleason 9 PSA 42 prostate cancer. I had all 10 out of 10 cores were positive. So it was an incidental finding. I had been actually fishing off in the Gulf of Mexico, offshore fishing and I had a hemorrhoid. And so I went into see my doctor, my primary care physician, and he said, "Hey, while you're here, how about let's do some blood work?"
And I said, "Great, let's do some blood work." And he called me, he had to have been ashen-faced. He called me and he said, "Your PSA is 42." And he said, "Have you been riding bikes lately?" And I said, "No, I've not been riding bikes." And he said, "Well, this could be bad and I want to get you back in for a repeat." And so I went back in for a repeat and it was confirmed my PSA was over 40.
And I immediately started researching and I was crying because I just though it was a death sentence of the immediate nature. We got the biopsy scheduled, and when the biopsy results came in which I've alluded to earlier, were full of a lot of delightful, challenging information. And then we began all the scans that guys in my position end up having. The bone scan, CT scans of the abdomen and pelvis and chest, and an MRI as well that confirmed the big lesion and the probable seminal vesicle invasion. And so that was the diagnosis.
Doug Kroc:
I had a new doctor and when I met with my doctor, she said, "Well, let's run some labs just to check things out." And when it came back, my PSA number was sky-high. It was like off the charts. And so at that point I knew I had cancer. And they referred me to a urologist in Brattleboro and they did a biopsy and it came back that I did in fact have cancer, and my prostate cancer has metastasized into my bones. And the urologist did not have very good communication skills and did not hold out much hope for me. And that was tough to hear. I was scared.