I have a psa of 2.5. This number has been steady for 5 years. I am 59 years old. The issue is that I have an abnormal dre and my doctor is recommending a bioopsy. The question I have is if there is an alternative to a biopsy? Thank you for your time.

There are currently no alternatives for biopsies for the detection of prostate cancer. There is a urine test, however, named PCA3, that seems to be as much as 80% more sensitive and specific to prostate cancer than PSA. This test is not FDA approved for prostate cancer diagnosis although there a few practitioner who are legally using it as additional information, not prostate cancer diagnosis. Here is a useful link: http://www.diagnocure.com/en/products-projects/prostate-cancer/pca3-test-patients.php. Regardless if you get the PCA3 test done or not, you can anticipate any urologist to recommend a biopsy.

Ask Dr. Espinosa

Geo Espinosa, N.D., L.Ac, CNS, RH (AHG) is the Director of the Integrative Urological Center at New York University Langone Medical Center. Before joining NYU, Dr. Espinosa was a clinician, researcher and director of clinical trials at the Center for Holistic Urology at Columbia University Medical Center. He is a licensed naturopathic doctor, licensed acupuncturist, a Certified Nutrition Specialist and a Registered Herbalist. Dr. Espinosa is an author of the naturopathic entry in 1000 Cures for 200 ailments, by Harper Collins; March 2007 and “Prostate cancer – Nutrients that may slow its progression,” Food and Nutrients in Disease Management - Maryland: Cadmus Publishing, 2009.

Ask Dr. Myers

Medical oncologist and prostate cancer survivor, Dr Charles "Snuffy" Myers was a key player in creating AZT, Suranim, and Phenylacetate while working at the National Institute of Health. With over 250 research papers published, Myers is one of the leading developers of today's prostate cancer canon on both the research and treatment side of the test tube. Former Cancer Director at the University of Virginia, Myers opened the American Institute for Diseases of the Prostate in 2002 to provide men with the kind of comprehensive care that saved his own life. Dr. Myers has long been popular among prostate cancer patients as a speaker because of his ability to explain science and medicine in easy-to-understand language.

Ask Dr. Latini

Dr. Latini welcomes your questions about the psycho-social dimensions of Prostate Cancer, particularly those presented by Gay and Bisexual men. Dr. Latini is an assistant professor of urology at Baylor College of Medicine. Before joining Baylor, he spent six years in the Department of Urology at the University of California, San Francisco. Dr. Latini is a clinical health psychologist whose work concentrates on cancer survivorship and symptom management for persons living with genitourinary cancer.