Prostate cancer. A useful resource.

[arthur49]

I lost a friend at age 54 to PC. That prompted me to get checked annually.
April 2016 - digital exam GP said "feels hard/abnormal come back in a year" as PSA was normal. 3 months later a series of urine infections.
Long story short too far gone to remove so it was radiotherapy and hormone treatment. Now I'm being monitored by annual PSA test.
NOTE - my PSA has always been normal so don't rely on it alone.
Get digital check and PSA, not one or the other

 

[DBK]

I went to the GP with this problem,.. finger up the bum confirmed enlarged prostate but no signs of a tumour .. but they can only examine one side of the gland.. so that was followed up by a PSA test that was negative ..

Was given a prescription for Tamsulosin capsules , one a day to reduce swelling which worked great and can now pee like a horse ..well, a pony anyway .. such a relief literally

For too long I put up with taking ages to pee and up during the night several times for the loo, don't hesitate , have it examined.

Check your risk

Check your risk in 30 seconds | Prostate Cancer UK

It's the most common cancer in men, but most men with early prostate cancer don't have symptoms. Find out about your risk now.

prostatecanceruk.org

That link is really useful. To summarise, if you are a man over 70 don't worry about getting a PSA test as even if you have cancer it is likely to be slow growing and won't effect your life expectancy or quality of life. The issue is if you do get a positive result it can lead you down a route involving surgery where the risks are statistically greater than if it had been left alone. Given this comes from the main charity working in the field I think it's worth thinking about.

The real risk area (according to the link) is with younger men (50+?), and it is they who need the check ups.

 

[Emmit]

Oldrat

You are pushing against an open door as far as bringing to the fore, the importance of education into Prostate health on this forum.

I'll go further, in the past six years, Funsters have contributed directly, over £11000 in donations, one way or another to Prostate Cancer UK to assist in the research into this disease

 

[The general]

if you are a man over 70 don't worry about getting a PSA test as even if you have cancer it is likely to be slow growing and won't effect your life expectancy or quality of life.

Correct ,I was diagnosed aged 64 ,if I was over 70 they wouldn’t bother giving me any treatment because ,stats prove something else would end your life before pc got you . Quality of life most important .

 

[gus-lopez]

my last one showed my psa level at 3.7,

What is the range in the UK now?
Here in spain it used to be 0 to 4 but about 6 years ago they lowered the range to 0 to 3,1.

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[BillandHelen]

What is the range in the UK now?
Here in spain it used to be 0 to 4 but about 6 years ago they lowered the range to 0 to 3,1.

Same here, some of the literature/doctors still talking about sub 4 but consultant was more concerned about the change in my level, from 2.5 to 3.7 than the actual level itself.

 

[seasideBill]

What is the range in the UK now?
Here in spain it used to be 0 to 4 but about 6 years ago they lowered the range to 0 to 3,1.

I think it’s age related, something like

0-2.5: Normal for a man 40-50 yrs.
2.5-3.5: Normal for a man 50-60 yrs.
3.5-4.5: Normal for a man 60-70 yrs.
4.5-5.5: Normal for a man 70-80 yrs.

but as others have said, a change is probably more significant and medication often prescribed to relieve symptoms can distort results. Ideally you should be assessed in the round, not just a PSA test.

 

[Kenp]

Jim (would you consider making this post a sticky in an appropriate place?

I wouldn’t normally expect one forum to promote another, but I wonder if, in this case, it might be acceptable.


I’m a bit of an evangelist about promoting early checks for discovering PC. I’m a survivor of 3 1/2 years and am only around because I asked to be checked.

Are you one of those guys who spend ages at a urinal, have you ever wondered why?

Of course it could just be age related. This forum will help you find out more information, and may just save your life.


It’s a very useful forum run by the MacMillan nursing is an excellent resource for anyone worried about Prostate cancer.

It’s one of the few cancers that, providing you find it early enough, you can survive with a 100% normal life.

Prostate cancer forum

A group for anyone affected by prostate cancer to share experiences and ask questions. Whether you or someone you know has been diagnosed, here you can discuss treatment options, side effects, prostatectomy and anything else that’s on your mind.

community.macmillan.org.uk

Oldrat & Jim,
I think this is the most valuable information many of us have recieved from this site and owe you a debt of gratitude for airing such a delicate subject that many of us are perhaps embarrassed to discuss.
Our grateful thanks to you.

 

[Dandm]

I think it’s age related, something like

0-2.5: Normal for a man 40-50 yrs.
2.5-3.5: Normal for a man 50-60 yrs.
3.5-4.5: Normal for a man 60-70 yrs.
4.5-5.5: Normal for a man 70-80 yrs.

but as others have said, a change is probably more significant and medication often prescribed to relieve symptoms can distort results. Ideally you should be assessed in the round, not just a PSA test.

In my early to mid 60s I had regular yearly PSA tests and they were around the 1.6 to 1.8 range, I used to get up once or twice a night, which I put down to age/too many G&Ts late evening. Just over 2 years ago I notice blood in the semen, went to GP who “did the digit” and referred me to the urologist at our local hospital (Medway, Kent). Long story short following MRI, CT, camera and biopsy it was confirmed that I had a low grade PC. I am currently on a watch and wait with 3 monthly PSA and yearly MRI scans. My PSA results are still below 2.5, the urologist says that they watch for spikes in the results.
The point is as above, if you notice ANY change from normal in that area insist on further investigation from your GP. Have a read on prostatecancer.org for symptoms. As many have said the earlier it is caught the better.

 

[rod_vw]

biopsy, really unpleasant, which showed of the 14 samples one was cancerous.

Well, somewhat embarrassing maybe us being of the male gender. Perhaps different for the females who have experienced child birth and various examinations.
I had a very pleasant female nurse supporting me whilst the biopsy was performed to whom I did comment that I had not experienced child birth! In fact she and I had a few jovial quips whilst I was having the procedure done.
All in all totally painless except for the local anaesthetic injections.
A good friend described the noise from the biopsy device as that of a reverse acting potato gun! Maybe that is how it worked. I had at least 22 samples taken.
To others -- grit your teeth and if need be get it done . If you have a female partner who has experienced child birth don't expect any sympathy although I have a wonderful partner to support me.

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[sedge]

If your doc is being unhelpful and you're willing and able to spend £25-30 on yourself - for goodness sake - visit https://www.mypsatests.org.uk/ and either find a testing event near enough to where you live or send for a DIY kit. Frankly - to my mind an actual testing event is preferable because they're manned by experienced phlebotomists, everything is handled in a very professional way and you get the results within a week. The NHS does not get to know that you've even had the test unless you need to tell them because the result is high and you need to get referred to hospital services PDQ please.

 

[sedge]

And PS whilst lady partners can't actually get prostate cancer that certainly doesn't mean they can't suffer from it!

 

[old-mo]

This is possibly the most sensible thread I have come across on M-H-Fun for ages..
,.........................................................................................................................................................................

I am also a sufferer of this dreaded disease.. Diagnosed a few years ago when I was 76yrs old..
My PSA was fairly low and I was put on a course of 3 monthly Hormone injections...That did not stop me from wanting a pee every half hour after getting up from bed... (Went all night without getting up.. ..)

Over the next 2 - 3 years my PSA sky rocketed.... So GP put me on a course of tablets as well as hormone replacement injections.. with the mixture of both, I can honestly say as far as I am aware I am cured... I can go for ages without a pee,,,, I don`t have to map out where the toilets are when going shopping... life feels great..

Just a shame about the other ongoing problems and issues that will take me before the cancer does..

 

[The general]

from 2.5 to 3.7 than the actual level itself.

What time period between tests ?? To me that’s a spike in readings which is a no no .

 

[Nirvanauk]

Correct ,I was diagnosed aged 64 ,if I was over 70 they wouldn’t bother giving me any treatment because ,stats prove something else would end your life before pc got you . Quality of life most important .

Not sure if that was quite correct. I was over 70 and asked for a Psa test, thos was found to be raised but not too bad. Immediately sent for a scan and then biopsies the same day. Put on HRT within a couple of days and into radiotherapy for treatment within 2 weeks.
the only reason I’d asked for the PSA test was that my neighbour who was 77 at the time had been tested and was raised and treated for PC.

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[The general]

Not sure if that was quite correct. I was over 70 and asked for a Psa test, thos was found to be raised but not too bad. Immediately sent for a scan and then biopsies the same day. Put on HRT within a couple of days and into radiotherapy for treatment within 2 weeks.
the only reason I’d asked for the PSA test was that my neighbour who was 77 at the time had been tested and was raised and treated for PC.

My psa was 6.4 at diagnosis if I was 70 plus my nhs trust ( remember different trusts have different ‘guidelines ‘ ) said active surveillance would be offered .

 

[CazPaul]

I get a test every year as my father died very young of PC, it wasn’t diagnosed quick enough and spread throughout his body, even to his brain, awful to witness a once super fit man reduced to that terrible state.
I was only 17 when he passed in 1983 after a 3/4 year battle. I hope the diagnosis/treatment has moved on a lot since then though, 40 years ago now.

 

[The general]

I hope the diagnosis/treatment has moved on a lot since then though, 40 years ago now.

I am sure it has

 

[BillandHelen]

What time period between tests ?? To me that’s a spike in readings which is a no no .

It was a year between tests, going for my first post treatment blood test on Friday, so will see what effect that has had.

 

[The general]

It was a year between tests, going for my first post treatment blood test on Friday, so will see what effect that has had.

Good luck after 20 fractions mine got down to 0.01 but seeing I still got a ‘ mashed’ prostrate I was told psa will rise , no spikes allowed and the magic number is 2 got to be below that .had my latest 6 monthly psa only last week ,Reading 0.18 .

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[The general]

My psa results since treatment ,psa reading are much more reliable /accurate after treatment .

 

[Chasnam]

I was diagnosed 18 months ago after a uti infection and an increase in urgency to pee but not at night.
The initial psa test was 258 and the digital exam felt knobbley immediately referred for ct and mri and put on ht every 6 months followed by chemo and radiotherapy.
My last test was .1 . The combined treatments seem to be working and I will get my next test in 4 weeks time.
The radiotherapy left me catheterisation for 6 weeks then I have used a self administered catheter twice a day.
It's not easy but a lot better than the alternative.
Mid Yorkshire NHS Trust.Chemo in Dewsbury and Radiotherapy at St James in Leeds.
I also think this has been a very worthwhile post and thank the op for starting it.
Chasnam

 

[georgio]

I had a prostate reduction after the pills stopped working 13 years ago aged 60. No discomfort afterwards although it was a long operation compared to other reductions the doc said and I can still cock the gun.

 

[The general]

prostate reduction

Is that shaving the prostrate ??

 

[Spriddler]

I remember the days when methods of diagnosis were less advanced.

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[Hettie's Crew]

https://www.ombudsman.org.uk/sites/default/files/How_to_raise_concerns_about_a_general_practice_0.pdf

 

[trophychap]

The local prostate cancer charity that Jenny and I are trustees of have arranged somewhere in the region of 800 tests this year. The average number of men who get a red warning letter is approximately 5% amber warning letters tend to be a little higher upto10% and the rest are green letters. So even if 50% of those red letters are false alarms we have possibly saved the lives of at least 20 men this year!

We have over the years we have been involved in arranging tests had several men come to repeat events held at the same venue and say "Thanks you saved my life" feels very humbling when that happens.

As others have said get tested its the only way to be sure!!

 

[gus-lopez]

I think it’s age related, something like

0-2.5: Normal for a man 40-50 yrs.
2.5-3.5: Normal for a man 50-60 yrs.
3.5-4.5: Normal for a man 60-70 yrs.
4.5-5.5: Normal for a man 70-80 yrs.

but as others have said, a change is probably more significant and medication often prescribed to relieve symptoms can distort results. Ideally you should be assessed in the round, not just a PSA test.

there is no 'age adjustment' here. The reading has to be between 0>3,1 now.Formerly 0>4
my tests for blood & urine usually for about 56 different things are yearly My wife's are every 6 months as she suffered colon cancer 10 years ago.
My psa reading is 1,49 down from 1,99 year before which was up from 1,79 year before that.

* Just in case it has never been mentioned to you do not have sex before the next mornings fasting blood tests .It completely throws out psa readings.

 

[seasideBill]

* Just in case it has never been mentioned to you do not have sex before the next mornings fasting blood tests .It completely throws out psa readings.

Apparently, according to my GP, so can riding a bike prior to the test!

 

[Hirsch]

I am 67 and was diagnosed with intermediate PC last February, Gleason 3+4 with 15% of the samples taken being grade 4. I didn't/don't really find the examinations or the biopsy problematic. It's better to know the score than carry on wondering what might be.

I saw the surgeon fairly quickly. He suggested I give serious consideration to active surveillance but that seems to be a ticking time bomb to me. I do not want the operation to remove the prostate.

I only got to see the Oncologist in October (one cancelled appointment in September).

I also have Ulcerative Colitis which is well managed with medication. I wanted radiotherapy after having spacer gel inserted. That doesn't come free on the NHS though. £6k or £7k for the operation. I am thinking that should provide at least some protection to my rectum area.

I wanted brachytherapy but they can't do it if the spacer gel is used so I am back to normal radiotherapy (whatever normal is).

Seeing Oncologist again next week.

Dilemma.

My old man had PC and it spread and got him. I don't fancy the same outcome personally.

Onwards!!

UHL (University Hospitals Leicester)

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