Is bone scan and CT needed for Gleason 7 prostate cancer?
Patient's Query
Hello doctor,
My internist found a PSA elevation of 5.8 ng/mL during routine screening and referred me to urology. The urologist performed a biopsy, which showed Gleason seven in two out of 12 scores. Now they are debating whether I need a bone scan and CT. The internist says yes, based on the PSA, while the urologist says no, based on the low volume of disease. Who should I listen to? What factors determine the need for additional imaging?
Kindly provide your insight.
Hello,
Welcome to icliniq.com.
I read your query and understood your concern.
The Gleason score indicates an intermediate risk for cancer. I believe it is not a bad idea to perform a bone scan or a CT (computed tomography) scan. It will help rule out any potential spread of cancer to the bones. The reason the urologist is suggesting no further imaging is that they feel it is unlikely for the cancer to have spread based on the Gleason score. However, in medicine, you can never say never, unless a test confirms there is no spread to the bones. I strongly suggest that you undergo a bone scan.
Also, do you have any history of back pain or bone pain? What medications are you currently taking?
I hope this has helped you.
Kindly follow up with the required information.
Thank you.
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