PSA tests

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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

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.

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?

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.

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.

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.

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.

It must be very hard not having a definite diagnosis baubles, I do hope everything goes well. Thinking of you and DH x

We are in a kind of limbo at the moment. DH (66) has an enlarged prostate and elevated PSA levels, he is on medication for this. For the last seven years or so he has had six monthly checks and at least 4 biopsies. In October his consultant decided it was time for an MRI scan as the biopsies haven't shown cancer. The MRI showed a shadow within the prostate which could be a tumour. DH was referred to a specialist in another hospital, we saw him on Christmas Eve. All the new hospital had was the letter from original consultant asking Professor ** to see DH, no history and no mention of MRI

The result of that meeting is that DH will undergo another type of biopsy under general anaesthetic on the 23rd of this month. Everyone seems to be expecting a diagnosis of cancer but obviously we just have to wait and see.

KatyK for you and your DH.

Well it's a very scarey subject tanith. I can see where he's coming from.

I'm happy most people seem to have 'sensible' husbands and that those who had problems are now doing well.. how did I manage to get a 'renegade'

It's great that your DH is doing this. Prostate cancer is SO treatable. Obviously that's not we thought when we got the diagnosis. To hear the C word is horrible, but we have learned lots of lessons along the way

I'm sorry you had such a horrid year KatyK but very glad that your DH is restored to full health. Like you we take every medical episode seriously and get on top of it straight away. As I've said DH has a PSA test every six months, first at the hospital and now, finally, at the doctors surgery, saving a lot of travel! Fingers crossed so far all is ok, but we're not complacent.

I don't like people who preach. I gave up smoking/drinking/over eating and I think you should too types. However, I really feel like preaching on this one. We had a horrible year last year with the diagnosis - blood tests, examinations, bone scan, MRI scan, pelvic scan, a biopsy, the shock of the diagnosis, 37 days of radiotherapy, the stress of waiting for the final result (50 hospital visits in 10 months) but it was worth it. My DH is now fit and well. He just has to go back every 6 months to ensure the PSA doesn't go back up again - they are not expecting it to and are pleased with him. He is diabetic too but the blood tests he has for this have never included a PSA. Fortunately, if he has a problem he goes to get it checked quickly (he is not always at the doctors but he won't leave anything to chance, unlike me who is a scaredy cat). During his treatment he found out everything he possibly could about his illness. I have a friend whose husband has prostate cancer and doesn't want to know anything. He just has the treatment and hopes for the best because he can't believe he has cancer. Everyone reacts differently. My DH is very realistic. He has never said 'why me?' rather he says 'why not?'. Better to go for the test and get it sorted rather than what could be a very different outcome. I have always been the sort to think 'oh it won't be anything, I'll leave it' but on this occasion it was, and it's been sorted. The number of men we met at the radiotherapy centre, new ones coming in day after day makes you realise how widespread it is and yes I agree that not all people with high PSA levels have cancer. There can be other causes. Apologies for the long post.

My D.H started having to get up in the night, sometimes three times! Also the flow was as you described merlotgran. Daytime it was as if he had a chill. Second time was just trouble weeing first thing, apart from that it wasn't a problem and it was the chiropractor (he'd hurt his back!!!) that he mentioned it to, that advised him to go back to the GP.
Thank you ninathenana for you good wishes.

My dad was diagnosed with Ca Prostate at 62, only because I was concerned that trips out were punctuated by loo stops far too frequently to be 'normal'.
Mum dragged him to the GP and threatened him with her telling the doctor if he didn't!
He barely spoke to me for ages (I think he 'blamed' me!) but he has the slow growing version, didn't need surgery etc but is treated with implants and at nearly 91 he's very fit.
It's frightening for men because it hits at their masculinity but it's treatable in the majority of cases.

I think a regular test is an excellent idea if a request just comes from the surgery .

My OH is 65 this year and I would say he gets up in the night a couple of times which is a symptom is it not? He does also need a blood test for his blood sugar but he just won't discuss it and changes the subject, if I even mention the 'C' word he sticks his fingers in his ears and sings lalalala , well not quite but you know what I mean..

Me again!!! D.H was 62 the first time round!! and 70 the second in 2010. However, our son had a friend who was 47 and was diagnosed, which is young as it's generally thought to be an affliction of old age, but not uniquely.
I think a test once a year for men of 60+ would be a good idea. For younger men, keep a sharp look out for any problems, and report them immediately.

My Sis-in-law nagged my brother to have a PSA test and they were shocked when he was diagnosed with stage 3 prostate cancer. He's 74 but after a course of hormone injections and radiotherapy he is now in remission.

I've been trying to persuade DH to have the test but like janer's DH he just changes the subject. He occasionally gets up once in the night for a wee but not always.

A friend told me she suspected her husband had problems when she could hear there was something wrong with his 'flow'. Rather than the sound of a carthorse relieving itself it was rather stop/start and sounded like more of a trickle.

This is worrying me and I think I'm going to have to start listening at the bathroom door.

Why are men so stubborn?

tanith, you haven't high jacked the thread at all, and I'm sure everyone will feel concern for you. I have a friend whose O.H won't make an appointment to even SEE the Dr about ANYTHING!! High blood pressure is suspected as he keeps feeling giddy, but insists it all part of getting older!!! Has your O.H got any particular symptoms? (that you can say on here!) Or do you just feel he needs a general check up which often includes a blood test? I don't know what the answer is short of gentle persuasion. There is an internal examination which can be done if prostate problems are suspected, but maybe he wouldn't agree to this either. I can't think of any other advice to offer. I do hope you manage to convince to take this particular plunge.