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Posted 5/4/2008 11:45 PM (GMT 0)
  I have an idea that I would like commets on from everyone. I like most males refuse to go see the Dr cause I feel great no matter how much the wife and mother insists I go well you know the story now. So I brought up an idea to the company I work for that they add PSA screening to the annual Healt Risk Assesment screening we have done once a year. To help catch this thing in others early so they dont go through the crap we are. But I am running into a political nightmare not with the company I work for but with the Medical center that dose the testing. I am dealing with two women (no offence ladies) a administrator and a nurse. They seem to think that this test should only be done in a Drs. office along with a Digital exam. I believe test them then send then to a Dr if there PSA in elavated. Average age at the mill is 48 so we are all in that age group. I am not a very good debater (or Speller??) so I am asking for everyones pros an cons on this Idea.

 

Posted 5/4/2008 11:54 PM (GMT 0)
I did the same thing will our health fair at work. We did not have the same problem you did. Our local hospital lab did the screening and sent the results to the employee and their personal doctor if they wished. Keep after them.

Mika
Posted 5/5/2008 12:09 AM (GMT 0)
Mika did you here if any or how many others had a high PSA?
Posted 5/5/2008 1:37 AM (GMT 0)
What a great idea! I don't agree with the nurse at all! I think a lot more men would be willing to get a PSA test before they would be willing to get a DRE. Therefore, if you choose to just recommend fellas going to their doctors and getting both tests, I don't think you would have very good compliance. The PSA test is easy to administer and I imagine most men would be willing to comply and if they needed to have a DRE following a high PSA, then they could see their doctor. Tell the nurse and the administrator that you are trying to minimize healthcare costs by not having additional tests run unless necessary. :-) Good luck and stick to your guns :)
Posted 5/5/2008 3:23 AM (GMT 0)

I think that is a great idea too. If the PSA blood sample can be taken along with some other blood test, so much the better.

In my case, the first problems showed in the PSA tests, not the DREs. So from my perspective, it makes good sense to follow up high PSA with a doctor's visit and DRE, which is a very minor procedure compared to what most of us here has been through. But I can appreciate the reluctance!

Maybe the medical center is concerned about false positives -- high PSA and no cancer -- and there certainly would be a fair proportion of those.

Posted 5/5/2008 10:51 PM (GMT 0)

Gary:

A good idea in theory and would probably alert a few men to the possible presence of Pca and give others a baseline to begin tracking their PSA.  BUT, until men (and some doctors) become more educated about PCa, PSA and the red flag warnings (family history, PSA rise over 0.5 per year, etc) I think the majority would probably tend to just file the report.  You said it yourself -  "I like most males refuse to go see the Dr cause I feel great no matter how much the wife and mother insist".

Men must become more proactive in their health care BEFORE the fact, not after.  Keep trying though, as any little bit helps.  Good luck.

Dutch

Posted 5/5/2008 11:58 PM (GMT 0)
Dutch your right. My wife finaly talked a coworker to get a physical and have his PSA checked and when he went in he asked the nurse to do a PSA test and she asked him why he wanted on??? He's 49 years old and his first test. But I don't want to stop trying some how we as in me and all of us have to push this harder. I like the number of guys in our special club I don't want any more.
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