It's a personal decision based on a complex series of variables. I was 68 when I was diagnosed and treated. I still work am in good health with a strong heart, so my life expectancy could be 15 more years. I know guys with metastic PC and it is not fun to have or die with it. So I moved fast. Yes, there is a risk factor but there is a risk factor to everything in life. In short, you do what works for you. Good luck
Actually, some PC cancers are metastic in five years. It all depends on the degree of the cancer when first diagnosed. PC is one of the few cancers where a cure is possible but it has to be caught early.
What you say is true but I think he is refering to the fact that most PC is slow growing, but I think those are the only cases of survival. If a cancer is growing so fast it breaches the capsule within a few short years then it is probably going to be deadly. Once it breaches the prostate survival goes down drastically. For me and only me I don't want to be screened. I know the risks and am willing to accept them. Each man has to decide for himself based on their overall health and personal wishes as to what is right for him. I believe in choice. I don't want to be forced to take a PSA test to get a medicine that I really need for my quality of life. I have many health problems that I have none of which I could have helped so my life span is reduced because of this. I am not concerned about prostate cancer. But someone who is healthy and energetic I would say get tested.
Do whatever works for you. The only rule for cancer is that there are no rules. PC out of the prostate is called locally advanced and there can be a 100 percent cure. It depends on many variables such as Gleason, margins, seminal vessels.
The first thing they like to do is get the prostate out if they find cancer. But why should you have your prostate out if it slow growing. Sometimes it take 10 to 15 years before it would cause a problem. The ide effect alot of men do not like. And what kind of life are you going to have wiithout sex. I'm 60 and I want it all. My prostate is staying right were it is. The other treatments some are just as bad. Another treatment is chamical or surgical castration of the testicles to slow down the cancer. It stops the testosterone. The doctor tell you that is will feel the same with the plastic ones in. I done't think so. What ever treatment you pick please look at all the side effect and get as much information you can. ken
Wow, I have never heard of plastic testicles. I can't help but laugh at that one. I agree one needs to get the facts and make an informed decision. I had my day with the urologist today. She had to feel my prostate and take some fluid from it which didn't do any good because they don't culture it. I hurt really bad. So her concl;usion is yes I have Prostatitis which is what I thought but to press on an inflammed prostate causes pain. Now I have to take antibiotics for a month, god help me. I made the mistake of asking her if I needed a PSA and she said yes at age 40 because I am on TRT. I told her that I didn't want to bother until age 50 and got a lecture from her. So what happened to this being my body and my decision with what I will have done to it. Why is it up to a doctor to tell me that I will have one with no choice. It makes me angry, after all I wouldn't tell her she had to have a mammogram if she didn't want one. Who am I to tell her what she can and can't do with her body.After all is said and done I am the one that has to live with my decision. even if it may be a bad one. It only harms me. Anyway I agree Ken.
This is also true and really there are a lot of unknowns. Every day some other substance either causes or stops cancer. What is one to believe. I figure listen to your body. Most of the time when something is wrong it will let you know. I know that sometimes the symptoms are mild and mask as something else so it is tough. I prefer not to stress about it. If I have a high PSA which is likely due to Prostatitus it is hard to know whether it is from cancer or an infected prostate. I don't want to stress over a false test and end up being biopsied for nothing. would be really bad to have an infected prostate then start stabbing needles into it. so in my case I am refusing at this point but will revisit it at age 50.
If you don't want one you don't have to have it done. It is your body and just say no. Take care. I was on a antibiotis for a month in december. Had a prostate infection. Take care Ken
Craig Had one of them done when I was 47 10 needles was a prostate infection. remember the PSA have a lot of false reading Ken
Oh, I know. This is probably why the urologist likes it because they can do so many biopsies. Heck they make $6,000 to 10,000 dollars per for a 15 minute proceedure. Not on me they don't. This is why I will opt out of PSA because even if mine was high I wouldn't have a biopsy. So no point to the PSA.
Thanks Ken. I have CDIFF so I have to be careful when on the antibiotics. If it gets bad enough I could end up in the hospital. Just a little worried. I found out my urologist doesn't check for fungal infection. It makes me wonder how many cases of Chronic Prostatitis are being overlooked due to fungus.
Good for you. Ken
While you are at it stop doing the dre too. Dirt and germs may be on the finger poked in your rear.
Craig,
I recently read a book written by the researcher who developed the PSA test. His name is Richard Ablin, and he says the test was never designed to be a cancer marker. The name of his book is "The Great Prostate Hoax." After I read the book I stopped letting doctors push PSA tests on me. I explain to them that I don't think the test is accurate, and they usually back off.
Stebrunner
Well my urologist didn't back off at all. She defended PSA testing like it saves 10,000 lives a day. I have a difficult time with this test as all it really shows is that the prostate is enlarged. Big deal. I know that my prostate is enlarged I can feel it. It hurts and I can hardly urinate. Do I think I have cancer? Absolutely NOT! I have Prostatitis and it freakin hurts. I wish the doctors would see it for what it is. They even try to biopsy you if you have prostatitis in order to do a culture. Give me a break, like they can't do that with a fluid sample from the prostate? It gets me upset because so much has been thrown on me and I don't like to worry and that is all the PSA does is make me worry. So for me I will refuse it vigorously. The doctor did feel my prostate and nothing unusual was noted other than swelling. I also watched a video of the inventor of the PSA and he said it was flawed. That was all I needed to hear.
Craig, and all,
First, I want to tell you all, as I have earlier in this thread, I get it. Due to the flaky reputation of PSA, why bother taking it? I have already answered that concern above so if interested it is the 1st response in this thread to Craig's PSA concerns. But putting PSA aside, I would like to suggest ultrasound of the prostate. It is quick, easy, inexpensive, yet insurance reimbursable, and results available to the patient immediately. Lots of "pros" for ultrasound of prostate ((USP). Above all USP is accurate. If a tumor is spotted a single needle biopsy guided by MRI can be performed to stage it without going through the rectum. What are the cons? Well your dignity I suppose. You have to drop your drawers and have a device shoved up your rectum. Does it hurt? No, however it feels strange, but really no pain and the entire procedure last maybe a minute if even that. So Craig and others, let me ask you. Why spend the rest of your days with your own head up your a.. wondering and worrying if you have PC when there is a quick, accurate, relatively non-invasive test you can take that will either allay your concerns or give you a heads up you may have a life-threatening, albeit fixable problem?
You don't have to do anything you don't want to do. There are alot of fakse reading. Just have her give your something to relax the bladder and help you pee. Watch out for some they will cause retro. Take care Ken
The problem is the urologist I go to still wants PSA testing first then if high biopsy. I don't think they would offer an ultrasound to diagnose it first. Ultrasound isn't accurate either. One would need a high res MRI to tell and insurance will not cover it unless you have been through a negative biopsy first with PSA still climbing. Unfortunately there are hurdles to overcome. What we need is a test like PSA that can tell whether one has cancer with high accuracy and the ability to figure out if that cancer is aggressive. If it isn't aggressive then depending on age it maybe fine not to treat it. I would rather not treat it as the treatments have bad side effects. Maybe you treat a non aggressive cancer and in return you no longer function. I wish there was a better way thats all. We don't have the proper tools yet.Until then my head remains in my posterior.
I know. That is the reason I didn't fill that RX. I do get relief from it with cranberry pills so I have been popping those instead of having retro. I have a bit of a problem with retro without medication so I would imagine it would be much worse with it. I hope the Cipro works as I am hurting and last night couldn't urinate very well.
To each his own. You don't want to take it, then don't. Good luck