PSA tests

baubles for you too. I haven't set myself up as an expert but if
it would help you in any way, when my DH's prostate was examined prior to the biopsy the consultant said it felt fine, not enlarged. On diagnosis my DH's PSA levels were 19.5. Apparently in a man of his age
they should be les than 4. As I said earlier, our consultant told us that raised PSA levels don't necessarily mean cancer and that he has had patients with PSA levels in the hundreds who do not have cancer, the same as an enlarged prostate can have nothing to do with cancer. The scans in my DH's case were only taken after the cancer diagnosis to see if had spread. It is a very worrying time for you and I wish you all the best. The only thing I can say is at least he has been monitored for some years and this can only be a good thing.

Apparently PSA tests are not considered reliable enough to be offered routinely - two out of three men with raised PSA levels will not have prostate cancer, but perhaps an infection. But, nevertheless, if PSA tests are all there is, should they not be used even if the reliability is suspect, for the sake of the one man in three who may have the camcer?

If only men would talk more freely about it - I am convinced, from my work with CRUK and The Breast Cancer Campaign, that some of the successes in early diagnosis are down to the fact that women will talk freely about their experiences.

Absolutely Ariadne several people, including the rather wonderful Dr Margaret McCartney have written about the fact that it is not a useful screening test as it throws up too many false positives. Also she points out that some of the non-false positives would have lived on OK despite the presence of cancer in the prostate - because often it is a very slow progress. The old saying is that many more old men die with it, than die of it. So when GPs say they are not in favour they are being entirely reasonable.
There is a difference between using something as a diagnosis and as a screening device in the healthy general population of course. Any chaps with a change in their urine flow should pluck up their courage and take themselves to the GP.

The problem is it can spread, particularly to the bones, if left undiagnosed. We were told that the biopsy is also a bit hit and miss. They insert 11 or 12 needles into different parts of the prostate but can't be sure even then that they will find the cancer even if it is present.

It's a rather inaccessible little gland isn't it. We should be grateful that breast cancer is so much easier to detect and diagnose. One of the few advantages of being female?

JessM, your last post was exactly what I was going to say about too many false positives. Screening has to pick up enough cases in a population without causing a lot of people to have to go through uncomfortable procedures just to be told they are clear - false positives, and not miss too many cases - false negatives. There was a study hereabouts in the 90s to see if screening for ovarian cancer would be effective, but they found that it didn't help and so it wasn't carried on. Prostate screening is not useful either, and there are even doubts about breast screening, as it throws up a lot of false positives too, and some cases where it is not clear that lumpectomy is really necessary. Bowel cancer screening and aortic aneurysm screening in men over 65, on the other hand, do seem to be effective.

Sorry, I should have said aortic aneurysm screening in men over 65 and bowel cancer screening in people over 50, to make myself clearer.

Jess -After all this trouble my DH refers to the prostate gland as 'that little b*****d'

They insert 11 or 12 needles into different parts of the prostate but can't be sure even then that they will find the cancer even if it is present.

Exactly KatyK. This is why DH is having to have a transperineal biopsy.

I wish you and your DH luck baubles. We had the year from hell last year but we have had a positive outcome. I'm sure you will too.

My husband had treatment for a small prostate cancer in the mid 1990's. He had read about the PSA test and asked the doctor for one, this showed raised PSA, but on investigation a very small growth. The consultant said that many men lived with this size of tumour for the rest of their lives, but in a few it would become malignant, and suggested that my husband had treatment, which involved injections for a short while and radiotherapy daily for about a month. A nuisance, but not upsetting, and since then he has had regular PSA tests, which are sometimes a little high, and on others quite normal. I suppose it is different for everyone, but I would always take the PSA course if available.

Baubles - hope it all goes well, and am sorry that you are having to wait till the end of the month. These waits seem interminable when you are on tenterhooks, wondering what they will find.

baubles

There's a useful chart on here www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-28166019 that demonstrates that screening for prostate cancer is not a particularly useful thing to be doing.

Thanks, JessM, a very interesting article and it does explain things clearly to the mathematically non-gifted (ie I understood it!).

Well I'm really glad our friend went and asked for the test as it found his cancer and he had his op yesterday.

Our GP told us yesterday that the test only picks up one third of cancers and so can give you a false sense of security. He suggested it is much better to look out for symptoms such as a change in flow, blood in urine.

DH's biopsy was postponed till today, he's in theatre as I type.
I've to ring the ward at 3.30, it's going to be a long afternoon. I'm about to buy chocolate and go for a walk around the pond.

Will be thinking of you baubles and sending good vibes your way.

baubles ((((hugs)))). What a very worrying time for you both. I do hope all goes well for your DH.

baubles Hope all goes very well for your DH this afternoon. A worrying time for you both. Also hope you had on your walk around the pond.

(Sorry, this will be a long post).

Have read all this with interest. My DH had blood in his urine over two years ago and immediately went to our GP. A blood test showed a fairly high PSA count but DH was reluctant to be referred to the hospital as he dreaded a biopsy. Eventually, after more blood tests with up and down PSA counts, he did go for a biopsy, which he found extremely painful. We then had days of waiting for the result which was, thank god, negative.

Since that time, DH has had regular appointments with our GP who is concerned because his blood pressure is high. In fact, the GP has told DH that he (the GP) is 'forgetting about' his high PSA counts until he has his blood pressure lowered and stabilised. This, of course, suited DH although I was secretly concerned about it.

However, the blood pressure medication is causing all sorts of side effects such as itching, swollen ankles and tiredness. The GP keeps trying out different ones but none of them are very successful. This week the side effects of the latest medication became so bad that DH went to the surgery yesterday. This time he saw a different GP who told him that a) his current tablets are not some that he would recommend, b) the itchy spot on his leg is not caused by the medication but is a benign skin condition, and c) the PSA tests must be recommenced.

Poor DH came home in a very depressed state as now the constant PSA test/wait for results/go for biopsy/wait for results syndrome will start all over again, his blood pressure is still high and he is being referred to the hospital for his skin condition.

So, I am in two minds about the benefits of PSA testing and medical opinion seems to be equally divided. On balance, I think I am glad DH is to have another one but I know that he would prefer not.

Well, I feel better for having got that off my chest even if nobody replies! Thanks for reading.

I hope all is well baubles I know what you are going through.

Nottooold - I can understand your mixed feelings with all that your DH has been through. My DH is glad he was sent for the PSA because, despite the biopsy, scans, tests, 37 days of radiotherapy and the horrible waiting for results, his cancer is in remission and the relief is unbelievable. I hope all goes well for your DH.

Thinking of you, baubles