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Andy get a copy of your actual pathology report and post the data herein, should show volume of cancer found per biopsy, gleason grade, type of PCa (18 variants exist), perinerual invasion? and other parameters. You might be defined as having 'indolent PCa-defined by John Hopkins-Brady Urology' if so watchful waiting/monitoring is actually a real choice. My brother has these stats like yours, but fits the indolent parameters and he has done monitoring for 4+ yrs. without any psa rises at all and should be fine still for perhaps a number of years before making a possible decision. What is significant is psa velocity and doubling times. There are some rare exceptions in Pca too (with the variants and all), so talk to an oncologist perhaps about your staging of disease level, are you a reasonable candidate for w.w.? If so consider it perhaps, your call of course.
Side effects of biopsy have been discussed fairly often in Forums like this because although the published studies show very low levels of side effects, bearing in mind the very large number of biopsies done, even a small percentage of damage results in quite a number of men with problems.
There is no doubt in my mind, from these anecdotal posts, that it is possible to have severe side effects from a biopsy and I think you should talk to your urologist (or possibly another one!) to get a professional opinion.
