Prostate cancer update GET TESTED! PLEASE READ

[Graham Orm]

You may recall that I posted a thread relating to my brothers discovery that he had prostate cancer and the need for everyone to have a regular test. For those who don't or didn't see it a brief recap:

My brother lost 2 friends to prostate cancer, both of whom discovered it too late, which meant it had spread and was unstoppable. My brother decided that an annual PSA test was the sensible thing to do. He timed it right and discovered early stage prostate cancer. He was treated earlier this year with Brachytherapy (surgically implanted radioactive seeds). Last week he was given the all clear. This was purely because he took the test and found the cancer early.

The PSA test:
The test consists of a blood test taken by your GP. The doctor may insist on a rectal exam too, make sure this is done after the blood is taken because it can itself cause an inaccurate reading. You are entitled to this do not take no from your doctor!! It costs the surgery about £80 so they may not deem it a necessary expense. If the doc says he will decide after the rectal exam tell him you want the blood test whatever the rectal exam shows, so he may as well sharpen his needle.

Your normal PSA level varies depending on age, from what i understand it's about 3. At the point of death from cancer it's in the thousands. Anything over 4-5 is an indication that something is wrong. My brother's was 7 when diagnosed and is now below 3.

Please take this seriously and tell your friends to as well. It saved my brother's life without a shadow of a doubt!

 

[flying haggis]

+1

been there, had the rectal exam and the surgery. last blood test PSA level not measureable (due to their not being a prostate anymore)

So get it done, dont put it off. Several work colleagues have had blood tests since I had my surgery.

 

[lanemaux]

You tell 'em amigo. If I had the sense granted most root vegetables I would not be in my present fix. 2 years ago I got admitted to hospital because I could not pee at all. The symptoms came on like a train from minor irritation to a catheter. I found out I was stage 4 that very week. Had I thought of testing when I hit 40 say once a year I could be a different guy right now. As it stands , well , the meds I take have weakened my bones to the point that using stairs is risky. Guess where my shop is. Get the tests guys , please!

 

[gregmcateer]

Thanks for the advice, gents, and I am sure I speak for all of us when I say Best Wishes to Mike, above - that must be scary as hell.

Cheers

Greg

 

[Graham Orm]

Thanks for the advice, gents, and I am sure I speak for all of us when I say Best Wishes to Mike, above - that must be scary as hell.

Cheers

Greg

+1 Good luck Mike best wishes mate.

 

[lanemaux]

Thanks for the well wishes guys. My condition is not really all that scary. Fear , anger , bitterness and so on are pretty useless. I prefer a lighter side outlook and a smile or two when available. Some of my newer doctors (seem to get a new one every couple of months) have trouble with reconciling my attitude to the diagnosis. Some even think I don't quite understand what's going on. But I figure I might as well sing and dance my way along , beats shuffling with head down. Mind you , if they get scientific proof that being a miserable old sod helps my chances in some way , I may just become the head troll in these parts. Hope not though , being disagreeable is such hard work.

 

[Baldhead]

Thanks for the advice, gents, and I am sure I speak for all of us when I say Best Wishes to Mike, above - that must be scary as hell.

Cheers

Greg

+1 Good luck Mike best wishes mate.

+1 all the best for the future Mike.

Baldhead

 

[Sheptonphil]

Well, just had a checkup with my GP (i'm 55 and in good health with no family history of PC), and when I asked if I could have the PSA test, I was politely told the results were not sufficiently credible to bother having the test done! Do I now insist on the test or take their view that all is rosy until it is too late.

Phil

 

[RogerS]

Well, just had a checkup with my GP (i'm 55 and in good health with no family history of PC), and when I asked if I could have the PSA test, I was politely told the results were not sufficiently credible to bother having the test done! Do I now insist on the test or take their view that all is rosy until it is too late.

Phil

Perhaps read through this ...looks quite well researched. I think that the issue is around false-positives and the anxiety that that brings. http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/Cancer-of- ... ntion.aspx

but then you Google some more and this from the NHS seems to contradict the first one http://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/Prostateheal ... -test.aspx

and this from across the pond

http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/fact ... ection/PSA

 

[Graham Orm]

Well, just had a checkup with my GP (i'm 55 and in good health with no family history of PC), and when I asked if I could have the PSA test, I was politely told the results were not sufficiently credible to bother having the test done! Do I now insist on the test or take their view that all is rosy until it is too late.

Phil

YES!!! the test saved my brothers life, that's how credible the results are. Your doctor needs reporting!!!

 

[Sheptonphil]

Settled, will maker another appointment to pursue the test. It's what I thought but needed another push.

Thanks.

Phil

 

[johnphilip]

get your selves checked in two weeks time i go in for Brachytherapy.i thank my young lady doctor for spotting it . i was having a bit of pain in the groin area she did a pee test and said there was some blood in the pee . she then went onto say that blood in pee in men can sometimes be down to prostrate problem.she sent me to a specialist and they did loads of test hopefull mine is still in the prostrate as the results show it there, and not into the bowl or bladder or bones . i am a bit nervous about having the op but know it has to be done .
please guys get it checked
...........it is a slow and takes some time to develope i think that is why it is missed . if anyone wants any help then "pm" if i can help

 

[johnphilip]

Settled, will maker another appointment to pursue the test. It's what I thought but needed another push.

Thanks.

Phil

good for you, and i hope every thing is ok

 

[RogerS]

Please chaps. While I can appreciate the fact that many men do get detected with prostate cancer as a result of these PSA tests and I also welcome the recommendation, DO read up the links that I posted. There are a lot of false positives. So you do need to make an informed choice and be aware of the possible downsides...ie false positive, followed by biopsy etc etc

 

[Graham Orm]

get your selves checked in two weeks time i go in for Brachytherapy.i thank my young lady doctor for spotting it . i was having a bit of pain in the groin area she did a pee test and said there was some blood in the pee . she then went onto say that blood in pee in men can sometimes be down to prostrate problem.she sent me to a specialist and they did loads of test hopefull mine is still in the prostrate as the results show it there, and not into the bowl or bladder or bones . i am a bit nervous about having the op but know it has to be done .
please guys get it checked
...........it is a slow and takes some time to develope i think that is why it is missed . if anyone wants any help then "pm" if i can help

Fingers crossed for you Johnphilip. That's the treatment my brother had. he said there were a few side effects but was able to continue working and get on with life. Good luck

 

[grahampearce]

The tests are not routinely carried out because of false positives (apparently the vast majority are false positives), and if you show a positive the test that follows, and the treatments, are quite invasive and can effect your sexual health!

Even a simple biopsy can cause significant problems, hence they do not do these tests unless you have other prostrate symptoms.

That said, I had many of the prostrate symptoms, and specifically asked for the PSA test (thanks to the wonders of Google research), which was thankfully negative, which is a good thing because negative results are apparently much more accurate in predicting the lack of prostrate cancer.

Regardless, prostrate is still enlarged, and has caused me to have bladder stones, which were recently removed.

I can now look forward to having further work done in the future...............apparently ;-(

There is one positive to take away from this prostrate lark, most men die with prostrate cancer, very few die of prostrate cancer. I guess that is a positive of sorts.

 

[Graham Orm]

The tests are not routinely carried out because of false positives (apparently the vast majority are false positives), and if you show a positive the test that follows, and the treatments, are quite invasive and can effect your sexual health!

Even a simple biopsy can cause significant problems, hence they do not do these tests unless you have other prostrate symptoms.

That said, I had many of the prostrate symptoms, and specifically asked for the PSA test (thanks to the wonders of Google research), which was thankfully negative, which is a good thing because negative results are apparently much more accurate in predicting the lack of prostrate cancer.

Regardless, prostrate is still enlarged, and has caused me to have bladder stones, which were recently removed.

I can now look forward to having further work done in the future...............apparently ;-(

There is one positive to take away from this prostrate lark, most men die with prostrate cancer, very few die of prostrate cancer. I guess that is a positive of sorts.

My brother lost 2 friends to prostate cancer because it hadn't been diagnosed early enough, how does that stack against the percentage you are quoting Graham? I'm glad you have had a negative result, and that you are on the mend, but the PSA test saved my brothers life. I'll be having one every year and the biopsy too if it means living for a bit longer.

 

[grahampearce]

My brother lost 2 friends to prostate cancer because it hadn't been diagnosed early enough, how does that stack against the percentage you are quoting Graham? I'm glad you have had a negative result, and that you are on the mend, but the PSA test saved my brothers life. I'll be having one every year and the biopsy too if it means living for a bit longer.

As I said, a false positive leading to a biopsy can have quite nasty consequences, hence the tests are not offered to all men above a certain age, unlike cervical tests in women where the test is very reliable.

Regardless, IF you are suffering any symptoms of prostrate enlargement you should perhaps ask for the test. The simple truth is that most men appear to suffer prostrate enlargement in silence. Just as I did until I had a urinary tract infection, caused by not completely emptying my bladder (caused by prostrate size) and as mentioned bladder stones, also caused by restricted urine flow (again prostrate size).

Simply put, if you have any symptoms of prostrate enlargement (Google it), get it sorted, do not wait for the really 'bad' indicators, i.e. blood in urine.

 

[Graham Orm]

I thought I'd give this a bump up as we have been affected by this terrible disease 3 times since mid December. We attended the funeral of a close friend just before Christmas who succumbed to lung cancer and who's wife died of it 5 years ago.

On Monday we go to another funeral, that of the brother of a friend only in his 50's. (Stomach cancer). After the funeral on Monday we go to visit yet another old friend who having been fighting lung cancer (successfully we thought) since February, has been told she now has it in her brain.

If you haven't read this thread before please go to the first post and take note. It's extremely relevant for all men over 40. It saved my brothers life.

 

[finneyb]

Please chaps. While I can appreciate the fact that many men do get detected with prostate cancer as a result of these PSA tests and I also welcome the recommendation, DO read up the links that I posted. There are a lot of false positives. So you do need to make an informed choice and be aware of the possible downsides...ie false positive, followed by biopsy etc etc

+1

The Patient Paradox by Margaret McCartney is a useful book to read. She is a Glasgow GP and I like her approach - followed her articles for a number of years. http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Patient-Par ... 1780660006

Basically, screening of the general population without symptoms is not as black and white as you would think at first sight - this applies to breast, cervical, prostate ect - there is no prostate screening programme in the UK, and that was a deliberate decision not a gap in the NHS. The US have recently changed their view and stopped prostate screening of the general population IIRC.

If you have symptoms no matter how slight that is a different matter, totally, - see the quack - that is not screening it is investigation.

If you don't want to buy the book read Patients deserve the truth: health screening can do more harm than good by McCartney Jan 2014 http://www.theguardian.com/science/blog ... -harm-good
She has other articles on the web if you Google

An emotional and difficult subject HTH

Brian