prostate cancer screening

.

I find it hard to believe that JB didn't have full medical checkups at least twice a year. Top to bottom. Inside and out.

In fact, I don't believe it.

DH, mid-sixties, has had a lot of trouble in this department in recent years. The NHS has been at their best in their treatment. He has had regular blood tests and scans and biopsies when needed. Thankfully, he does not have cancer but is still being regularly monitored as his PSA count is higher than it should be. We are in England.

My DH has just been diagnosed with prostate cancer. He's 69 and had no symptoms at all. He has a yearly blood test, as he is on lifelong medication (after having a heart bypass) and needs to be monitored. This time he asked could he also have the PSA test. Results came back with a PSA level of 39 and Gleeson score of 7. He's just had CT, MRI and bone scans, and a biopsy. His treatment started 2 weeks ago with hormone therapy and he's just had his 3rd radiotherapy session (he's to have 20 in total). The service we have had from the NHS has been brilliant, no waiting for tests, just booked in within a week of asking.
We had absolutely no idea that he had prostate cancer (no-one in the family has history of it), so insist that your male family members ask for the test, it can literally be a life-saver.

Feeling this also, Mr D is currently on hormone therapy and about to start radiotherapy. He was lucky he saw a different gp to his normal who suggested a psa was a good idea. Thankfully it seems to be contained within prostate so should be fine after treatment.

David49

I did wonder why Bidens aggressive cancer wasn’t picked up earlier

Is it deliberately not treating elderly men for prostate problems
Is there an age where women don’t get screened?

Yes women don't get screened once we reach our 71st birthday but I asked for one and am able to have one every 3 years. I have had a scare once so make sure I have a testAnyone over the age of 71 can ask for regular tests, but I believe you have to ask each time it does not happen automatically at that age.

*dogsmother"rr

Oops dogsmother. My DH had hormone therapy followed by 37 days of radiotherapy. All good now. Good luck to your DH.

My husband had no symptoms whatsoever even his bloods didn’t show a problem it was found by a physical exam during a routine exam,he was 62 he had surgery and never looked back….

So hopefully it has been caught early and is curable. I hope he gets back to good health quickly.

David49

I did wonder why Bidens aggressive cancer wasn’t picked up earlier

Is it deliberately not treating elderly men for prostate problems
Is there an age where women don’t get screened?

David
Women do not have a prostate gland.

However routine breast screening ends at age 70, a cervical is up to 64.

So yes, we are on our own unless we make a fuss

The issue is getting men to actually want a test. The other issue is that many older men go through later life with prostate cancer that is non-lethal. (My stepfather was diagnosed at age 78 and the doctor told him it was of the type that might kill him in 20 years or so - he is 97 this year)

Thanks Kate, tough going as entails him living away from home for a month minimum. Very resilient personality type should be good.

dogsmother

Thanks Kate, tough going as entails him living away from home for a month minimum. Very resilient personality type should be good.

That's interesting - why has he got to live away from home? My DH's treatment is the same - hormones and radiotherapy, but no mention of not living at home.

Nor mine.

We're in Scotland and my husband tested positive when I asked the surgery to test him (PSA Test a few years ago). He had the chosen treatment and his PSA levels have fluctuated ever since although remaining low. Now DH's cancer is in remission showing 'no trace'.

Since DH's diagnosis we encouraged our DS to ask for a test at age 42. He was given one and thankfully all is clear.

I always encourage male friends of 50 or over to ask for a test, and many have done so. Some have been clear, some not, but thankfully all are surviving.

As an aside, my husband's consultant told us DH will probably die WITH prostate cancer, but not OF it.

Yes. My DH's consultant said that 90% of men will have prostate problems in their lifetime, although not necessarily cancer. Apart from my DH, my brother-in-law has prostate cancer, two of our neighbours, and a friend's husband.

Mr I asked our GP for a prostate test. He was symptom free. Why do you want it asked Dr X. Because Ms iam says I have to, said mr I. Ah well we’d best do it then said Drx
The test was negative.
Sadly mr I was subsequently found to have extensive stage 4 mets. Palliative care only. Dr X wept as they’d become friends 💙
Early detection of any cancer is positive. Prostate increasingly well managed by treatments.
Prostate screening should be a regular like smear/mamogram

yogitree

We're in Scotland and my husband tested positive when I asked the surgery to test him (PSA Test a few years ago). He had the chosen treatment and his PSA levels have fluctuated ever since although remaining low. Now DH's cancer is in remission showing 'no trace'.

Since DH's diagnosis we encouraged our DS to ask for a test at age 42. He was given one and thankfully all is clear.

I always encourage male friends of 50 or over to ask for a test, and many have done so. Some have been clear, some not, but thankfully all are surviving.

As an aside, my husband's consultant told us DH will probably die WITH prostate cancer, but not OF it.

The PSA test is notoriously unreliable, throwing up both false negatives and false positives. The only reliable diagnosis is MRI. Until there is a reliable test mass screening gives little, if any, guarantee of reducing prostate cancer deaths.

Iam64

Mr I asked our GP for a prostate test. He was symptom free. Why do you want it asked Dr X. Because Ms iam says I have to, said mr I. Ah well we’d best do it then said Drx
The test was negative.
Sadly mr I was subsequently found to have extensive stage 4 mets. Palliative care only. Dr X wept as they’d become friends 💙
Early detection of any cancer is positive. Prostate increasingly well managed by treatments.
Prostate screening should be a regular like smear/mamogram

If only there was a reliable mass screening method.

Curlywhirly

dogsmother

Thanks Kate, tough going as entails him living away from home for a month minimum. Very resilient personality type should be good.

That's interesting - why has he got to live away from home? My DH's treatment is the same - hormones and radiotherapy, but no mention of not living at home.

We live in the Channel Isles and have to travel to Southampton for a lot of treatments. It’s more cost effective to remain there than fly back and forth, quite tough but doable.

That's difficult for you both dogsmother. We were lucky (if you can call it lucky with a cancer diagnosis). The hospital here in Birmingham which mainly deals with radiotherapy, was overloaded so we were sent to a private cancer hospital (on the NHS) 20 mins from our home.

Ah, thanks for that dogsmother I was worried that maybe he was radioactive! Which isn't so outrageous - as far as I can remember, a colleague of mine had thyroid cancer and had radiotherapy(?) and had to stay in isolation for a week in hospital, so as not to contaminate anyone.

Well my DH had 37 consecutive days of radiotherapy and he wasn't radioactive!

Kate1949

Well my DH had 37 consecutive days of radiotherapy and he wasn't radioactive!

😊😊😊

Curlywhirly

Ah, thanks for that dogsmother I was worried that maybe he was radioactive! Which isn't so outrageous - as far as I can remember, a colleague of mine had thyroid cancer and had radiotherapy(?) and had to stay in isolation for a week in hospital, so as not to contaminate anyone.

Chemotherapy is the problem there or at least your bodily waste after having it usually. It has to be carefully dealt with.

Thanks for that dogsmother.
We have just returned from hospital where my DH is having his radiotherapy treatment; so many people, of all ages, waiting patiently for their treatment. Until you get involved, it is difficult to appreciate the scale of people suffering from cancer. And a big shout out to the staff, all are so pleasant and cheerful; it can't be easy working with people who are are fearful and worried.