Prostate Cancer
What if my biopsy was negative but my PSA is still high?
What is the short answer?
That happens.
A biopsy can miss a small area, and an enlarged prostate or inflammation can keep PSA up.
What else should I know?
Next steps may include a prostate MRI, other blood or urine tests, and a targeted biopsy if an area looks suspicious.
Watching your PSA over time also helps.
When should I make an appointment?
If your PSA keeps rising after a negative biopsy, schedule a visit to plan next steps.
What happens at a visit?
Our two Gwinnett offices each include a surgery center: Snellville at 1557 Janmar Rd, Snellville, GA 30078 and Lawrenceville at 501 Crown Pointe Way, Lawrenceville, GA 30046. Let us know which part of the county you call home, and we’ll take it from there.
How do our urologists approach this?
A negative biopsy with a PSA that stays high is a common situation, and our Gwinnett urologists don’t brush it aside. We look at the trend over time and how large your prostate is. We also ask whether inflammation or infection could be raising the number. Next steps may include a prostate MRI, other blood or urine tests, or a targeted biopsy if an area looks suspicious.
What happens at a visit?
Bring every PSA result you have, with dates, plus your biopsy report and any MRI. We’ll lay the numbers out together and explain what each test could add. Then we’ll agree on a follow-up schedule.
How should I prepare?
Bring every PSA result. Include the dates.
When should I call?
Call us if a new PSA result comes back higher, or if you have new urinary symptoms, bone pain or blood in your urine or semen.
What do patients often ask?
These are the questions we hear most, each with a short answer.
Can a biopsy miss cancer?
It can miss a small area, which is one reason an MRI and a targeted biopsy may be suggested.
Is there a video on this?
These Advanced Urology videos explain elevated PSA and PSMA PET/CT imaging.
- Watch: What is Elevated PSA and how Advanced treats it What the video covers: An explainer on what an elevated PSA means and how Advanced Urology approaches it.
- Watch: #020 - Decoding PSMA PET / CT for Prostate Cancer What the video covers: A podcast episode explaining the PSMA PET/CT scan, an imaging test used to look for prostate cancer throughout the body and to see whether it is still in the prostate or has spread.
What should I read next?
Educational content; your own care plan comes from a visit. Back to the reading room