How many of you are living because of PSA screening?

Sue,
If my husband had not been screened at 63 (PSA & DRE exam which showed evidence of tumor) when he was I am sure he wouldn't be here today - 10 years later.

I wish you all the best in your efforts to bring the reason for Dave's early death to the attention of the medical community in Canada. I'm hoping others will post here give witness and to bolster your case.

You are in my thoughts,
Susan

2005 Husband dx at 63 yo Gleason 4+3
2006 LRP First post surgery PSA 11.8 Stage IV Start Lupron
2010-2014 Casodex, Provenge, Nilandron, Zytiga, Orchiectomy, Xtandi.
PSA cont rise. Spot on spine & enlarged lymph nodes.
2014 Xgeva & Taxotare
10/31/2014 Last Taxotare due to SE’s PSA was 14.82 now 1.3
2/27/15 PSA 10.48
3/20/15 PSA 13.68 Multiple lesions found in liver
3/27/15 Start Jevtana w prednisone Neulasta 24 hrs after chemo
6/19/15 Stop Jevtana PSA 63.40 CT shows left kidney hydrophenosis caused by tumor pressing on ureter and increased liver lesions
6/19/15 Start Taxotare and carboplatin
6/26/15 Nephrostomy
7/10/15 PSA drops to 9.63 after first cycle of Taxotare and carboplatin
7/31/15 PSA now 2.6 after 3nd cycle
8/21/15 4th cycle PSA 2.4 CT scan next. Great results – Kidney issues resolved, all lymph nodes reduced in size and liver lesions improved
9/11/15 5th cycle PSA 2.1 Nephrostomy removed
10/02/15 Chemo break due to neuropathy in feet to right below knees & up to
first joint in fingers

Had. Not been screened, starting at about age 50, and established a baseline, I am convinced that at the very least, I would be n serious trouble at this point. I had a Gleason 3+4 at the apex, 1.1 cm, which would surely have escaped the capsule.
Because. Screening, it was caught before having a chance to put my life in danger

A free "Health Fair" PSA screening & DRE rang the alarm bell and sent me off for a biopsy, the first (and second) one both negative..PC was diagnosed 18 months later after PSA reached 9.2 and a third biopsy was performed...Gleason 9, surgery, positive margin, RT failed, on ADT now and forever.....

Had my cancer never been discovered and I went on blissfully unaware, would my termination date have been the same as as what it is now?? Impossible to answer. My doctors tell me that without the aggressive treatment I have endured I would have been dead in 2 years.....But they are just guessing....With the treatment, I'm still alive and reasonably well going on 6 years...My last PSA test was somewhat alarming, from 0.4 to 1.2 in six months so the honeymoon might be over....The dreaded "Hormone Refractory" milestone awaits us all.....

We all share your loss Sue, truly a tragic story..but trying to assess blame on "The System", lashing out at others, that's not what took your husband away...The day he died was pretty much determined the moment he was conceived...This board is full of stories of men who DID detect their PC VERY early, had it treated, thought they were cured, only to find out 2, 3, 4 years down the road the monster had returned, slipped out of its cage and was stalking them again...

Be thankful for the wonderful years you had together, close that chapter and start a new one. Don't look back, think about tomorrow not yesterday...Best of luck to you...

The last half of Fairwind's post could be a standard for those of us who lose our loved ones to cancer.

Sonny has the corner on "Every Day is a Bonus", and he has seen situations that make that mantra seem absurd, at first glance. But many of us use that every morning to put feet on the floor, and tempt fate yet another day.

Thank you for pursuing this, Sue. Your efforts may well save lives.

My MD did regular PSA tests until 2012, then, without a word to me stopped (on advice of....). He was consistent with DRE's, noticed an imbalance in 2013 (but no follow-up) and a "notch" in 2014. A subsequent PSA was 2.38, but a biopsy indicated a tiny amount of G7 in 1/12, G6 in 1/12. So put me down for detected by DRE. With the ease of post-surgery urination, I realize I was also symptomatic in stream and frequency.

Wilderness

PSA screening as part of a physical detected high PSA @ 14.7. The rest is history

I was used to getting an annual DRE + PSA test and then I entered the VA system about 4-5 years ago and the primary care doc did not perform a DRE which I thought was a little odd. Fortunately the PSA was checked and when I crossed over 4.0, that was the trigger for the Doc to do a DRE and that's when he felt a hardening on one side and ultimately my Pca diagnosis.

There is *zero* doubt in my mind that without PSA/DRE screening, I would be facing at some point in the future advanced mets/chemo/etc. I advised my two nephews (in their 40s) to have a PSA/DRE EVERY year.

Sue,

First, I am truly sorry for your loss. Please accept my condolences.

I was one who almost became a statistic. My long time dr had a lot of the feelings about PSA screenings that many in the medical community have (false readings, unnecessary biopsies & risks from them, slow growing cancer & all that, etc...). I am someone who has been diligent about getting annual physicals. In 2010 my PSA was 2.32. In 2011 it was 2.89. In 2012 my doctor recommended I stop with the annual PSA tests, for the reasons I listed above. So, I stopped. Fast forward to the summer of 2014 and my doctor moves to California. After whining for several months about needing to find a new doctor, I finally do it. The first thing he says is "you haven't had a PSA test in a few years, we should do one". It may have saved my life. As you can see from my signature, I had 11 of 14 positive cores. As a t2c my next stage would have been that my cancer was spreading. My urologist has said I likely carried it for a few years.

I understand that a PSA test is not infallible. A false positive can and will cause stress, and possibly unnecessary biopsies and the potential side effects thereof. But what else is there? Had I been more informed, I would have told my dr to just run the test. Not because I knew I would get PCa, but because to me the risks associated with false positives are far outweighed by catching it early. At a minimum, I would NEVER recommend a male over 50 not to get a PSA screen as a part of an annual checkup.

Me? Hard to say. As a G9, PSA11(though down to 8 after 2 months and before surgery, Vitamins?) with a positive margin and SV invasion, I'd say I probably would have advanced a good bit by now(20 months). I probably wouldn't be dead, but is there any way to say for sure?

Now, has treatment actually saved my life? Maybe, though additional treatments might be needed. Only time will tell.

It is for certain that my aggressive PC was only diagnosed due to a PSA test 1st. I hope that has saved my life, but I don't see how I can say for sure yet. I feel fairly certain it has probably at least extended my life. At least it has for certain cured my BPF and prostatitis 100%.

EDIT: I probably could say with far more certainty that it had saved my life if I had acted more aggressively earlier in response to my rising PSAs over the years. I just figured it was due to my long history of prostatitis. Wrong.

My first PSA test was in 2009 at age 62. It came back at 5.2 so that started the follow-up tests and finally surgery. I was a Gleason 6 but I figured at that point in time I was in the best position to stop it completely. Without that screening test I really don't know how long it would have been before some event would have led to detection and all too often cancer grows quietly but when it does get your attention, it is too late to do anything. I've been given a 0.00 at all my PSA tests since my surgery so I am pleased that there have been no signs of recurrence.

5 1/2 years from a PSA spike that led to prostatectomy, gratefully I now have a full and healthy life due to PSA screening. I have friends that have passed due to prostate cancer and not catching it early with a test. I preach PSA testing to my friends and feel I owe my life to it.

Ron

Sue, my PSA spiked on my physical. GP referred me to Uro. The rest is history.

I can tell you my Son 37 years old already has a baseline PSA. His GP agreed with me when I told my son I would pay for the test if his insurance would not. Dr made sure it was covered.