I realise this is a male cancer and can't find much helpful on it on MN but thought someone might have advice or experience.
We have just had a rather baffling follow up appointment after a biopsy and don't know now what to think or expect.
It's quite a long history so I will try to summarise:
DH first went to GP maybe two years ago with a few problems. This led to PSA test (a bit elevated) MRI and biopsy. DH hated the biopsy . He is quite health anxious anyway and has complications around warfarin but he screamed the ward down...
This came back clear of cancer but they found ASAP (no me neither) which has led to more PSAs.
About 6 months ago a PSA test was at 13. A repeat test was also 13. Cue another MRI and another biopsy (this time under GA but not much better in terms of pain afterwards and still all the warfarin faff)
We only found out today that that MRI had a PIRADS of 4/5.
However, the biopsy was clear of cancer.
But (and this is the confusing bit) they now can't explain the PSA or the PIRADS score - so , now they are trying anti biotics in case there is an infection (no symptoms of this) . DH thinks this will almost inevitably lead to another MRI and another biopsy in endless repeat cycles
I am obviously being really naive because I thought a biopsy was either a yes or a no : not a 'no, but we aren't' actually sure it's a no so we are going to keep fiddling' . This has really poleaxed him. He is as stressed as he would have been if he had been told he had cancer (as he had mentally prepped a bit for that). The main anxiety is another biopsy. They are horrific, to be fair. But also obviously that he - glass half full - has heard that he doesn't have cancer that they can see but he might.
Everything I see online suggests a PIRADS of 5 is nearly always cancer. So , what do they do when they don't then find any? I can't really find any evidence online that there is anything more definitive than a biopsy so I'm not clear what the processes are. It seems they are saying they can't ignore the PSA even though the biopsy was fine.
It's honestly impossible to understand or react to.