Take your prostate exams ....... (Ration Time!!!)

A good friend of mine's father was diagnosed with prostrate cancer way back in '92. He elected not to have surgery, and he's now 87 years old! I'm sure every case is different, but I think his doctor told him his cancer was progressing so slowly that old age would kill him before the cancer would.

Originally posted by WeRpeons
A good friend of mine's father was diagnosed with prostrate cancer way back in '92. He elected not to have surgery, and he's now 87 years old! I'm sure every case is different, but I think his doctor told him his cancer was progressing so slowly that old age would kill him before the cancer would.

A great point. These decisions should not be made in a cookie-cuter fashion. Everyone is different, every disease stage different towards the individual.

You can't "blanket" treat or not treat a condition and expect the same results!

reply to post by WeRpeons


That is the prevailing wisdom with some forms of prostate cancers... Others are more aggressive and can kill quickly...

Famous Men with Prostate Cancer

YMMV

Originally posted by Skewed
reply to post by beezzer

 

And I am sure it has saved more than your fathers too. But, they made more money than the lives they saved in the process, plus the fear based reasoning they advertised behind it. The day I turned 40 my mailbox was full of this stuff reminding me that I must go get checked, like turning 40 was the key to having prostate problems.

Actually, turning 40 is considered a key point to have a PSA test.

mayoclinic.com

Professional organizations vary in their recommendations about who should — and who shouldn't — get a PSA screening test. While some have definitive guidelines, others leave the decision up to men and their doctors. Organizations that do recommend PSA screening generally encourage the test in men between the ages of 40 and 75, and in men with an increased risk of prostate cancer. Ultimately, whether you have a PSA test is something you should decide after discussing it with your doctor, considering your risk factors and weighing your personal preferences.

All people are different.
Some men may have extremely high PSA numbers, and biopsy will come out negative.Other can have an extremely large prostate and be cancer free.
I have a friend who had a biopsy every year for 10 years untill it showed results, but at that point the cancer had spread to his kidneys . He lost his prostate and part of his kidney.
There is really no set number of cores in a rectal biopsy, on top of the fact there are areas of the prostate that can not be reached rectally.
And that is why I had a complete mapping of the prostate, having a complete diagram or blueprint ,or in ths case a complete mapping is the best way to attack a problem.
Prostate cancer or any other type of cancer is no joke , neither are the tests or treatments.
I don't wish that on anyone.

reply to post by N3k9Ni

Actually, turning 40 is considered a key point to have a PSA test

And if you test positive, remember it can be past down to your sons and grandsons.
So tell them !

Originally posted by beezzer
reply to post by sad_eyed_lady

 

Thank you for the data.

I get my PSA checked every year. I have been since I was 43. PSA still less than 1.

Been There: a slight increase of "year to year" psa led to a biopsy: led to definitive diagnosis and a date with a da'vinci surgical robot. They caught it before I had any real symptoms or anything bad spreading outside the gland.

The controversy lies in the fact prostate cancer is very slow growing and odds are older folks will die of something else first. I was "younger"and had 16 years left.(statistically speaking). Now I'm fine..(albeit generally "grumpy").

PSA tests are ok if you are showing any symptoms of enlarged prostate or problems with urinating. If there are any symptoms at all I would say have one done. Don't worry though because worrying itself causes stress on the immune system and lowers the healing ability of the body. If there is a family history of prostate problems then it is wise to have testing but for the majority of people it is just a waste if there aren't symptoms. Know the symptoms, talk to the doctor about it.

My father died of brain cancer in the early seventies, I am not afraid of brain cancer. My mother died of liver cancer a few years back but the meds she was taking for many years for complications from a stroke really messed up her liver and weakened it so it couldn't fight anymore. The meds were necessary for her condition but research I have done since showed that other meds would have had less side effects. I wish I knew what I know now when she was alive, but a lot of what I know came from her autopsy results. I started to analyze my relatives illnesses and their habits. I started talking to people. I am no longer worried about liver cancer. I just lowered my genetic specific risk factors a lot.

We can't keep getting tests if we have no symptoms or family history of an illness. I believe if these two cases are evident than we should get the tests though. I have no say so in the matter anyway but am just saying what I see. I hope if they pass this change they allow those with risk factors to still get the tests and be covered by insurance and medicare. We can e-mail our congressman if we feel something needs to be addressed. Make the E-mail short and to the point and add whatever compromises we feel are relevant. Don't make it too long so they read only the first two sentences and apply your input wrong.

This is a very good thread, there is a lot of input from people and I even learned a little more from it. Good job Beezer.

reply to post by rickymouse
Thanks ricky. And thanks to everyone who shared some private matters for this thread.

Prostate cancer is no joke. Nor is it partisan. And as discussed, even though it isn't 100% accurate, as a diagnostic tool, it has saved lives.

I guess, bottom lining it, don't listen to government panels. Listen to your doctor(s) and make informed decisions yourself.

It's YOUR health.

Not theirs.

Originally posted by getreadyalready
reply to post by beezzer

 

Yep, colonoscopy often equals perforated bowel, sepsis, and death.

OK, maybe not "often," but considering the frequency of the operation, even a small percentage is a significant number of deaths.

By the same token, I'm not a fan of the Leep surgery for women either. Pretty much every woman I know has had at least one abnormal papsmear, which resulted in a leep surgery, which ultimately results in scar tissue, and can lead to complicated pregnancies.

We are overly treating patients these days. Over-testing equals over-treating equals too many mistakes and mishaps.

Somewhere between 70,000 and 120,000 people die every year due to medical mistakes. You're better off swimming in sharks tanks than to go to a hospital.

This is absolutely true. What gets me is that all these expensive tests and procedures are offered. Expensive medicines which have horrible side-effects are prescribed. But, do you think anyone lets a person know about what natural supplements might control or keep a condition from occurring in the first place? You have to do your own research. I've gotten to the place where I take anything my doctor says with grain of salt.

For example, I found out a couple of months ago that I am allergic to wheat/rye/barley (i.e. gluten). Now, this condition is well-known to be hereditary. My son was diagnosed with this allergy at age 9 (he's now 22) when I noticed that consumption of breads brought on asthma attacks. Do you think the doctors thought to test the rest of us? NOPE! So here I am, tired all the time, blood pressure a little high, night blindness, cholesterol a little high, hot all the time, etc. I go to the doctor and am told I'm dehydrated and need to drink more water, exercise more, and lose a few pounds. So here I am this summer, doing my own research, and figured it out myself with testing confirming it. I stop eating gluten and feel better almost immediately, my weight is just falling off even without dieting, my night blindness is going away, etc. Sometimes I wonder why we even have doctors if they aren't worth a damn. Interestingly enough, gluten issues affect 30% of people of European descent and most don't even know it. I personally believe this is the cause of most of our obesity in this country. Yes, I know we've always had wheat, but what most don't know is that we are growing and consuming a hybrid wheat (have been for40-50 years) which contains much more gluten and the compounds which enhance appetite. Our obesity rate mirrors the consuption percentages of this dwarf wheat hybrid.

reply to post by beezzer

Take your prostate exams and shove them up your. . . . . . says government

The USPSTF is an independent panel of non-Federal experts in prevention and evidence-based medicine and is composed of primary care providers (such as internists, pediatricians, family physicians, gynecologists/obstetricians, nurses, and health behavior specialists).

But that doesn't stop you from saying this is a government agency saying this....way to spread that mis-information.

In any case, you can't ignore prostate health. Whether you want to be tested or not, taking a supplement like Super Beta Prostate Supplement
is a safe preventive measure.

Dennis Hill is a biochemist with a background in cancer research who successfully treated his own advanced stage prostate cancer, which had metastasized to his kidneys and other areas of his body, with cannabis concentrate.

dl.dropbox.com...

I'm studying all the things that cause the prostate to get screwed up. I'll initiate actions based on what I find out. I was on meds for an enlarged prostate, which was being caused by other meds I was taking because I was allergic to them. After discontinuing the allergens, my prostate problems went away. This included quitting eating foods in the class one chitinase foods and lowering overconsumption of goiterinogenic foods. Some people have no problems with these foods, but not me.