PSA VELOCITY – ARE YOU AWARE?

Imagine this: You’re a guy in your 50s, feeling fine, getting routine checkups. Your doctor says, “PSA’s a bit up, but still normal for your age—no big deal.” You trust him. You move on. Fast forward a few years… and bam—you have Stage 3, aggressive prostate cancer. That was my story. And the kicker? The warning sign was there the whole time: My PSA velocity.

PSA velocity is simply the rate of change in your PSA number from one test to the next. It’s not just the number—it’s how fast that number is either rising or decreasing over time. This is why, after every PSA blood test, you should jot down the result and the exact date of your PSA test. If you spot a consistent upward trend, that may be a red flag. For instance, your PSA number is 1.0, then the next year it jumps to 2.0 and the third year it jumps to 3.5, that is a red flag, and it is something you should bring to your doctor’s attention and discuss possible causes. But keep in mind, a rising PSA number over time can be an indication of the presence of prostate cancer or a noncancerous prostate condition. So don’t panic.

Now here’s the hard truth—Many doctors don’t track PSA velocity. Mine didn’t. My urologist saw my PSA creeping up year after year. He would shrug his shoulders, and say, “You’re still in the PSA level range we consider normal for your age. We’ll just keep watching it.” Well, “Watch it” turned into an aggressive prostate cancer diagnosis that hit me like a ton of bricks. Only after my cancer diagnosis did I learn that a rising PSA velocity can be one of the earliest clues to prostate cancer—so that should’ve triggered further testing. It didn’t. And I paid the price. By the time of my cancer diagnosis, I was in a fight for my life. Now, if I had been aware of the importance of tracking my PSA velocity, there’s a good chance I would have caught the cancer in the early stages and not when it had advanced, to Stage III aggressive prostate cancer.  

Remember, PSA velocity is not just about one PSA test number it’s about the number rising or decreasing from one PSA test to the next. It’s a wakeup call that you shouldn’t ignore. Forward this article to one man you care about. One click could save a life.