Another warrior down

RIP courageous one. May his family find comfort in His loving arms. Glad you found your answers.

ISU-CycloneFan,
Watch many more sunrises and sunsets. Bless you.

Just as a follow-up, I did work at this man's funeral last night. It turns out he was six months younger than I am and was diagnosed at the same time I was, just five years ago.

Unfortunately, for whatever reason, (maybe his cancer was found too late, maybe he had a more aggressive strain of the disease), it took his life after a lot of suffering and a tremendous battle, even with the best of treatment though the Mayo Clinic, while I'm fortunate enough to be alive and well.

I'm a vey lucky guy, and I thank our family doc who always monitored my PSA.

I hate that this disease continues to take the lives of tens of thousands of good men every year. And I hate that so many men learn too late of their disease thanks to the unwillingness of those who should know better to promote the use of PSA testing by ALL men. Who knows. If this man's cancer had been found five or ten years sooner, his lovely wife and his two young sons might have him still around for many years.

As Doctor Myers has said 2/3 of men have a kitty cat and 1/3 have a tiger. Obviously, he had the latter as many of us do.

Clock, interesting method you used to have a biopsy. As you experienced we shouldn't just wait for our doctor's advice.

Nkinney, I really don't appreciate the lecture, (phrase deleted). I think you're wrong on both counts.

(Paragraph deleted)

I'm not new to this game. I've been around the forum longer than you and read arguments and discussions all across the spectrum. But all this fussing about the PSA test is ridiculous. The problem is not the PSA test (and I never suggested mass screenings, by the way). The problem is educating men and the medical community on how to select an appropriate course of action/inaction when the test indicates a possible problem.

Probably there is nothing that will "end PC deaths," but we could do a heck of a lot more to reduce the number, and finding a G9 tumor early is surely better than finding it after it has reached the lymph system or otherwise escaped the prostate capsule.

I'm sorry, but I resent the condescending tone of your remarks. It's uncalled for.

Post Edited By Moderator (Tudpock18) : 10/22/2015 11:39:59 AM (GMT-6)

I think the USPSTF must be run by statisticians and bureaucrats.

Well, let’s avoid the further gun control discussion which will lead to the thread getting locked down for comments interpreted as political in nature. I’ve made my comparison on the similarities, and you’ve made a counterpoint.

With a note of distain, you fussed, “the unwillingness of those who should know better to promote the use of PSA testing by ALL men.” If the problem is education, then why bring up this tired old subject which DOES imply mass screening. Nobody is calling for an end to all PSA testing…just for an end to the harmful mass screening of uneducated (about PC) men. There was not mention this morning of education. Let’s fuss and together promote more informed decision-making about PSA testing, which will help protect men’s health AND reduce PC overtreatment.

As I said already, in fact, if you actually read the USPSTF documentation, even they acknowledged the ongoing usage of PSA testing....but this is a very tired, 3-year old topic.

If we aren't screened then we aren't diagnosed and therefore not treated.

From HealingWell on untreated prostate cancer: https://www.healingwell.com/community/default.aspx?f=35&m=2230814

“1. Prostate cancer mortality was 80% in men younger than 60 years, 63% in men 60-69 years old, 53% in men 70-79 years old and 49% in men older than 80 years.
Source.
Damber JE, Grönberg H .Mortality due to prostatic carcinoma in northern Sweden. : Urologe A. 1996 Nov;35(6):443-5”

I'm in the 80% category.

sigh...this is so tiresome. It's simple. PSA test is a test....it doesn't have feelings, it doesn't make real human beings over treat. It's about education of those giving and taking the test.

If you don't like the PSA test, then come up with a solution, don't just pound your chest, arrogantly screaming, PSA test bad...

I wish that my doctor would have listened to me when I asked about having a test when I turned 40. But more important, I wish I would have educated myself, and demanded the test.

As soon as you say "the harmful mass screening of uneducated (about PC) men, you've staked out two positions that I find tenuous, at best. First, that PSA screening (maybe even testing) is necessarily harmful; and second, the over-generalization that these men who are being screened are uneducated (especially about PC). They may not know all the ins and outs of PC, but I suspect they know that having cancer is, in general, a bad thing.

Do they need some kind of a degree? Do they need several hours of training and education? What would suffice to make them sufficiently educated to be screened or tested? And, should we do that also with mammograms, colonoscopies, glucose tests, eye exams, listening for bruit in the carotids and other medical tests?

Many of us men cringe when we read of recommendations for limitations on the testing of women, such as PAP smears, mammograms, and so forth, but don't bat an eye when it comes to the limitation of procedures affecting men's health. As others have said, it's a simple blood test. It doesn't rule cancer in or out. I've just watched my brother, 13 years younger than I, go through the process and choose AS. At least he knows where he stands vis a vis his prostate health, which surely is better than living in blissful ignorance. Sure it caused him some apprehension, and caused even more for his wife who recently had undergone a cancer battle of her own, but the docs involved did a very good job of guiding him through his options and keeping the matter in perspective. No overtreatment, no over-diagnosis.

Like you, I'm weary of this PSA debate. But, if you had spent a few hours with this recently deceased prostate cancer victim's family, you might understand why at the moment more testing seems like a really good idea to me.

By the way, I looked at your last 10 posts, as one an do by clicking on the name, and can't find a signature. It would be helpful to know your background. Just a suggestion.

You can't get baselines on men without routine screening.
Logically for each man to have a baseline they have to have been tested.
Followup on those baselines over time are done through additional routine testing.

And I'd appreciate it if you stop with the hidden insults.

only uneducated men are being screened - see your post
Your suggestion that I need to get educated before posting again.
"alphanull, based on several of your comments, we are clearly dealing with a gap in the understanding of USPSTF. Please take a few minutes to go look up some background...before posting again! "

I read the paper, if they didn't mean what they stated then they should edit it for clarity.

BTW it's alephnull not alphanull, alephnull is an actual number. More specifically, it is the number of numbers.

Somehow, the Emperor has no clothes. It makes no sense to eliminate routine PSA screenings.

I was dx. as a RESULT of my sequence of annual PSA tests. Period. No symptoms.
The increasing PSA results led to more tests, which led to my biopsy.

Unfortunately, I did not end up with the relatively good G3+3.

Now, is my situation SO UNUSUAL? I really think NOT. In fact, reading HW over many years, I would say that I typefy the average PC patient.

Had I not had PSA tests, I suspect I'd be in VERY bad shape now (ie: serious symptoms).

Mel