Prostate Cancer

[Bazile]

What is the current medical opinion as to when / what age should men have a test / or should men have a test for Prostate cancer ?

[Sqad]

40+ and yes they should.

[Bazile]

thanks

Is the PSA test the first thing to have done ?

[sunny-dave]

If you mean the PSA test, then I'd say "never" - unless you already have physical symptoms that might lead to a possible diagnosis.

From NHS Choices :

"Screening is associated with a “high risk of over-diagnosis” of prostate cancer.

To save one life from prostate cancer, the study showed that 48 men would have to be treated.

This means many men would be diagnosed with prostate cancer that would otherwise not have been detected or required treatment".

“The majority of PSA-detected prostate cancers are harmless”

[sunny-dave]

"with the greatest respect" (ie I profoundly disagree) - sqad is not reflecting current thinking.

[sunny-dave]

Put simply, 47 out of every 48 men diagnosed by screening will potentially be subjected to life altering treatment for a condition that will never cause them any harm.

[sunny-dave]

http://www.cancerscreening.nhs.uk/prostate/prostate-patient-info-sheet.pdf

[slaney]

The UK national cancer screening committee looks at this in 2010 and decided not to proceed because the PSA (prostate specific antigen) test was simply not good enough to underpin a national programme.
A good article from the chief executive of Prostate UK here...
http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2010/dec/08/prostate-screening-campaign
The bottom line is that you can ask for a PSA over the age of 50 - but it is as well to understand the limitations of the test.

[Bazile]

So what are the symptoms that would indicate that a PSA test might be advisable ?

[Old_Geezer]

As opposed to normal swelling of the prostrate.

[Old_Geezer]

Damn typos !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Sqad]

Yes....the PSA is getting some stick at the moment, but it is the best show in the UK at the moment. I would suggest that anyone who had symptoms pf prostatic cancer had an MRI scan....BUT...that ain't going to happen in the UK.

Symptoms: feeling of wanting to go to the toilet (pass water) feeling some difficulty in passing water, after passing water,feeling that you need to pass more water 10 mins later.

These are the symptoms of prostate cancer, but more commonly, no cancerous prostate enlargement.

[Sqad]

sunny dave.

I respect your opinion and analysis.

Question: If you had a routine PSA which was high, but you had NO urinary symptoms, would you ignore it?

[slaney]

Bazile - it would be by far the best thing that you go to your GP and discuss this.

There are certain groups of people who are at risk, those with a family history for example..
http://prostatecanceruk.org/information/who-is-at-risk

The symptoms are sometimes those of an enlarged prostate (although it's possible to have cancer of the prostate without enlargement)
http://prostatecanceruk.org/information/prostate-problems#symptoms_to_look_out_for

[Sqad]

Dave.......this is from slaney's link

\\\\ But the critical flipside, which is heavily underplayed in the screening committee's announcement, is that for some men with an aggressive but symptomless prostate cancer, a raised PSA level may be the only earlier indicator of cancer at a time when it can be successfully treated.\\\

So what about an answer to my question?

[Bazile]

sqad
//These are the symptoms of prostate cancer, but more commonly, no cancerous prostate enlargement//

Sorry , what do you mean by this bit ''.. but more commonly, no cancerous prostate enlargement ''

[Sqad]

Bazile....sorry.....the symptoms that i described are far more commonly due to benign ( non cancerous) prostatic enlargement.....NOT CANCER.

[Bazile]

Would a low PSA test , reading , mean you do not have prostate cancer ?

[Sqad]

No, a low or normal PSA doesn't exclude a prostatic cancer.

A cancer is unlikely with a low PSA but not impossible.

[dunnitall]

May I just ask, would prostate cancer make one unduly tired and fatigued, falling asleep at the drop of a hat. Most other symptoms already noticed?

[Sqad]

\\\\\\May I just ask, would prostate cancer make one unduly tired and fatigued, falling asleep at the drop of a hat.\\\\

Many...many other conditions come to mind well ahead of prostate cancer, which would be my last thought..e.g Diabetes or underactive thyroid.