good news, screening works

[saptastic]

Does anyone do PSA tests ? I was listening to Simon Jordan who suggest doing this.

[vetran]

Does anyone do PSA tests ? I was listening to Simon Jordan who suggest doing this.

yep I have a familial raised risk for Bowel & Prostate cancer I pushed to do both. The PSA test is far from perfect but its better than finding out late! They seem fairly organised when I did it, it was Medefer who did the testing as part of a trial. The blood taking could be combined with other annual tests. They just send you a nothing detected letter.

If I ruled the world then all those taking annual bloods would be screened for anything cheap if they are at high risk.

[Gibbon]

Does anyone do PSA tests ? I was listening to Simon Jordan who suggest doing this.

Every 6 months at the moment, but then I've had/got prostate cancer and had a proctectomy. The PSA test was designed for people like me as any PSA showing after the op can only be a recurrence. As a diagnostic tool it can be deceptive, many things can cause a raised PSA even cycling or infections etc. However in my case a fast rising PSA from baseline 2.4 to 5.2 in a year with none of the complications led to my urologist declaring I had cancer before even a biopsy. The danger in using it as a screening tool is that at the moment ( soon to be changed with enhanced blood testing) it leads to a biopsy which will seriously harm more men than get diagnosed at the last dataset I saw 10 men would be harmed per single diagnosis. Medical science is a collection of probabilities, nothing exact.

[saptastic]

Every 6 months at the moment, but then I've had/got prostate cancer and had a proctectomy. The PSA test was designed for people like me as any PSA showing after the op can only be a recurrence. As a diagnostic tool it can be deceptive, many things can cause a raised PSA even cycling or infections etc. However in my case a fast rising PSA from baseline 2.4 to 5.2 in a year with none of the complications led to my urologist declaring I had cancer before even a biopsy. The danger in using it as a screening tool is that at the moment ( soon to be changed with enhanced blood testing) it leads to a biopsy which will seriously harm more men than get diagnosed at the last dataset I saw 10 men would be harmed per single diagnosis. Medical science is a collection of probabilities, nothing exact.

Ok thanks - tbh sounds a bit vague for screening from what you say.

[CoolCat]

I am far from impressed. As they are sending the kits out to people already diagnosed with hemorrhoids, who are already known to have blood in their poo. In other countries such patients would get a regular colonoscopy to check the blood from the hemorrhoids is not hiding any blood from cancer. Many such patients are just ignoring these kits as they have already been told not to worry its just hemorrhoids. Its a typical lack of joined up approach from the NHS.

[vetran]

I am far from impressed. As they are sending the kits out to people already diagnosed with hemorrhoids, who are already known to have blood in their poo. In other countries such patients would get a regular colonoscopy to check the blood from the hemorrhoids is not hiding any blood from cancer. Many such patients are just ignoring these kits as they have already been told not to worry its just hemorrhoids. Its a typical lack of joined up approach from the NHS.

it is far from perfect but it is a good start compared to waiting for people to turn up to A&E nearly dead. Its probably cheaper as well.

[Gibbon]

Ok thanks - tbh sounds a bit vague for screening from what you say.

Well yes, but its probably getting a baseline reading once at 50, then if like me you get a fast rise you know its worth looking into. My GP wasn't concerned at 5.2, said its probably an enlarged prostate, it was only my insistence because I was being considered for a kidney transplant that led to a urologist consultation where he declared I had cancer and the biopsy and scans would determine treatment. Turns out I had stage 3A, another 6 months would have been life extending not curative treatment and no transplant, probably have died by now!

I also had some physical signs like reduced urine flow rate and spunk (cancer cells don't produce fluid or do the mixing).

[xoggoth]

Fortunately we have a charity group here that runs a PSA testing event every two years.

[ladymuck]

Fortunately we have a charity group here that runs a PSA testing event every two years.

That sounds jolly!

[xoggoth]

Yeh! Most fun I ever have these days.