King Charles - Benign Prostate Enlargement

My late husband was diagnosed with prostate cancer at 49, he was dead by 59.
(He had been given 5 years but managed 10). There have been great advances in the last 20:years but awareness and early diagnosis are absolutely vital.
NB - Benign Prostate Enlargement does not increase the risk of prostate cancer.

I’m pleased to hear that Judy24 That must have been a huge relief for you both.
Our neighbour is in the same situation. He was diagnosed years ago and is just getting on with his life as he says.

Well said JenniferEccles. This is exactly what Mr J was told when he was diagnosed with prostate cancer "you will die with it, not of it" This was a number of years ago and despite other unrelated health problems He has survived.

Yes sadly prostate cancer can and does kill, but there are also a large number of men whose cancer is very slow growing and, depending of course on their age when they are diagnosed, they eventually die with it, not of it.

Witzend

All men over 50 should get their PSA levels checked annually.
I think too many don’t.
We recently lost a 4th friend to prostate cancer - it’s a bastard of a disease.

PSA tests are hugely unreliable. False negatives abound.

Anniebach

The royals turn to NHS and suddenly nurses and doctors will be found to work in NHS ?

It's illogical, isn't it.

If the NHS is improved, and goodness knows it needs radical improvement, perhaps staff would not leave it in droves, some going to work in the private sector where the stress levels do not cause them to have breakdowns.
Then, of course, the staff who are left are caused even more stress.

It's facile to blame the state of the NHS on the private health sector.

GrannyGravy13

Grantanow

It's a fallacy that going private relieves the NHS. Most private ops are done by NHS consultants who - if private medicine were abolished - would be contributing their skills full time to the NHS. If we had no private medicine in the UK the rich and their politician friends would ensure that the NHS ran well.

You frequently post your disgust and both the Royal Family and anyone who has a few £££’s in the bank.

Would you rather we all wore regulation clothes, with a prescribed hairstyle, no doubt you are in awe of North Korea and China…

And we all know what happens in regimes like that!

The royals turn to NHS and suddenly nurses and doctors will be found to work in NHS ?

Ilovecheese

Anniebach

Some have to live in council houses whilst others can buy 😱

Eh?

An example of people wanting to control what other people spend their money on, Ilovecheese As is * Gwyllt's* "Folks who buy expensive cars clothes etc are not told they should buy clothes from Asda or drive a bottom of the range vehicle" No-one would accept being told that they ought to eat only tea and toast, or abandon their nice owner-occupied house and move to a council housing estate (not possible anyway - council housing for all who need it went long ago the way that the NHS is headed), so why tell them they must join a waiting list on NHS instead of paying for private medical treatment?

The answer is not to ban all private treatment, but to overhaul the state system so that is preferable. Fat chance of that! so those who can do otherwise will continue to do so.

Well said GG13
Actually Grantanow is not right.
Some years back I was treated by a private surgeon who only worked for a private hospital, so my operation did not deprive anyone of NHS treatment.
I can’t imagine my situation was unique.

Anniebach

Some have to live in council houses whilst others can buy 😱

Eh?

Some have to live in council houses whilst others can buy 😱

Grantanow is right though. Going private does not reduce the NHS waiting list.

Grantanow

It's a fallacy that going private relieves the NHS. Most private ops are done by NHS consultants who - if private medicine were abolished - would be contributing their skills full time to the NHS. If we had no private medicine in the UK the rich and their politician friends would ensure that the NHS ran well.

You frequently post your disgust and both the Royal Family and anyone who has a few £££’s in the bank.

Would you rather we all wore regulation clothes, with a prescribed hairstyle, no doubt you are in awe of North Korea and China…

My Dad died of prostate cancer which then went to his oesophagus. They operated on his prostate and when they opened him up discovered he had a very nearly strangulated hernia so they did that at the same time. They said it was too dangerous to leave.

He had regular injections into his tummy following his op and it gave him another good 10 years where he felt very well before they discovered he had cancer in his oesophagus. By then he was 86.

Witzend

All men over 50 should get their PSA levels checked annually.
I think too many don’t.
We recently lost a 4th friend to prostate cancer - it’s a bastard of a disease.

Totally agree, DH and his friendship group have all had their PSA tests, unfortunately three have gone on to have treatment two for prostrate cancer and one for benign enlargement.

Anything that makes men aware and pro-active is a win win situation.

Well done King Charles 👏👏👏

All men over 50 should get their PSA levels checked annually.
I think too many don’t.
We recently lost a 4th friend to prostate cancer - it’s a bastard of a disease.

It's a fallacy that going private relieves the NHS. Most private ops are done by NHS consultants who - if private medicine were abolished - would be contributing their skills full time to the NHS. If we had no private medicine in the UK the rich and their politician friends would ensure that the NHS ran well.

The issue of private medicine again
I have worked hard all my life as many people have.
Surely I should be able to spend my money as I choose
I live in a lovely area
I drive a six year old mini
I do not contribute to global warming by jetting away on holiday or have expensive tastes
Folks who buy expensive cars clothes etc are not told they should buy clothes from Asda or drive a bottom of the range vehicle
As the local waiting list for new hips was about three years I chose to go privately at the cost of a not very luxurious new car I was on crutches at time
Result I am fit and independent. How would I have been after a long wait
How long would it have taken to regain my independence and what drain on my family and society

My husband was seen quickly, diagnosed quickly and treated quickly on the NHS.

Along with most other wealthy people thus helping to relieve that queue. For all its faults, I think we perhaps don't realise how lucky we all are to have the NHS. In America, if you can't pay, you don't get, simple as that. Our Dutch friends can't believe that we don't have to pay! Except for life threatening illness, they have to pay, and even then only the life saving treatment/operation is free, after care, is not, hip replacements are not, chemo, radiotherapy, physiotherapy, all has to be paid or else you don't get. Obviously you have to insure, and that's not cheap. The NHS has looked after me and DH for the past 77 years and counting, including full cancer treatment, hip replacements, maternity care, hernias and so on into old age. A lot for us to to be grateful and thankful for.

Hope all goes well, Charles, and take things easy afterwards for a good recovery.

Grantanow

While the rich and Royals can bypass the NHS the Tories won't bother to fund it properly. Their attitude to the proles is 'they can wait; they can queue; they can die.' it's all very well Charles being commendably open about his prostate but if there's a long waiting list it doesn't make much difference.

Raising awareness has the knock on effect of men seeking treatment earlier and charities getting more donations/funding.
It is not usual for the RF to divulge personal health information so I am surprised and pleased that Charles has done so.
Regardless of waiting lists getting men to seek help is a priority. Advances in prostate treatment are moving fast and there are various options available, not necessarily surgical.

It depends where you live. A nephew was seen very rapidly in England for a similar prostate operation whereas in Wales (Devolved Health and under a Labour Government) DH has been struggling on for years.
He might go privately.

And that one - Charles - is ahead of any prostate sufferer in the queue!