Not a wind up (unless said person was pulling my leg). Friend I know had it and he was lucky for it to be treated successfully. He was told as well that regular masturbation was good for ‘cleaning out’ the system and was one way to help keep prostate cancer at bay…

No personal experience, but a few years ago I went to a talk by Gerd Gigerenzer which touched on this. IIRC he showed convincingly that routine screening in some country/ies had massively improved the survival rate. However the punchline was that it had not changed the death rate appreciably.

The key to understanding this is to note that survival rate is generally measured as survival to eg 5y from diagnosis. If you detect lots of harmless slow-growing cancers that would never cause a serious problem, then you can show a great survival rate, even if you achieve no benefit for those with aggressive cancers that kill.

He was told as well that regular masturbation was good for ‘cleaning out’ the system and was one way to help keep prostate cancer at bay…

Well I don’t know about that, but I do know that ejaculation might affect your PSA test by producing a high result

I don’t think that it’s been mentioned above, but 15% with prostate cancer will have a normal PSA test result. Another proportion of tests will be false positives and taken together may be reasons for repeated PSA tests, but also demonstrate its weakness as a test in isolation

for anyone interested, full of Useful information on this subject.
https://go2.thetruthaboutcancer.com/global-quest/episode-1/

its weakness as a test in isolation

Why would you use it in isolation?

^^^ to be honest I think that’s stoatsbrother’s whole point, as a front line medical person.

My message as a victim/sufferer/survivor – who knows which one, time alone will tell….. is that if you’re getting into your 40’s and notice any changes in peeing, reduced flow, more regular need, incl during the night, go and speak with your GP. My experience was that slightly elevated PSA won’t trigger any unpleasant extra tests, but trending increases suggest further investigations as a worthwhile step. My initial PSA figs around 5 were put down to regular saddle time, but after 2 increased results my GP suggested a biopsy, largely to put mine, and his, mind at rest. He was as surprised as me when it came back as cancer.

Why would you use it in isolation?

As part of a health assessment offered to men over 50 with health insurance, for example?

That’s why symptoms, family history and if necessary repeated tests and intimate exams are so important

I was 48 when had first PSA and had my prostate removed last November. I will be 50 next year. Consultant reckoned, based on post op pathology, that if it had been found a few yrs later it would have spread….

The 50 yr thing is purely arbitrary

So heres a suggestion if you dont feel quite right, reduced flow of urine, frequent urination etc go see a gp, whos trained for quite a while,has experience of medical ailments etc, or just argue on a bike forum.

The if diagnosed positive, lots of time off work, lots of invasive tests etc and huge stress.

or dont go and see a gp,and wait and see what happens, seeing the stress and suffering my dad went through after being diagnosed, and then he died, im waiting a bit longer before the investigations begin, despite being told by the gp it may be best to get checked out.

Project, I can’t imagine the pain you have been through, so can only speak from my own perspective. I am glad I went, got checked, had the unpleasant stuff, had a radical prostatectomy and hopefully got cured. I was off work for 4 weeks, off the bike for 9 weeks. It was, and remains, stressful, but my own opinion is that it was the right thing to do. My youngest child is 9, I want to see him grow up.

The last thing I want to do on this thread is argue. I only came in on it to balance some opinions and I don’t really feel like sticking on it to be honest as its going into a bit of a bike forum tit for tat as you say.

My email is in my profile if anyone wants more first hand info.

Ianc, youre definately not arguing,but putting your point of view and treatment accross quite well.

Will respond in email in next few days.

Why would you use it in isolation?

As part of a health assessment offered to men over 50 with health insurance, for example?
That’s why symptoms, family history and if necessary repeated tests and intimate exams are so important

A periodic PSA test doesn’t prevent consideration of symptoms, family history, repeated tests and intimate exams. In no way is the test you describe “in isolation”.

OP’s friend and all those here who’ve commented, best of luck. Interesting the discussion re screening. I’ve had the finger test pretty much every year since 40 as its a requirement of the company life insurance. Whatever the commentary around the blood tests I’d rather have a false positive than an undetected cancer

as its going into a bit of a bike forum tit for tat

I fear I’m one of the “tit for tatters” so I’ll leave this thread now for the good of the thread.

My Father and (non-blood relation) Uncle showed no symptoms at all until they were suffering from aching limbs from the spread to their bones. Needless to say that was long after it could be operated on. People can draw their own conclusions from that snippet of anecdotal quasi-evidence.

For myself, as someone with serious family history of this (all my blood relation uncles) I feel the odd PSA test might help me identify a problem sooner than waiting for symptoms. It also establishes a baseline that might help in a future diagnosis.

It’s not perfect, there’s the significant chance a cancer could be missed, at the other extreme there’s a chance a PSA test could give such a brilliantly early warning that I could end up having a deeply unpleasant operation on a cancer that was never going to kill me. I might die in a car crash on the way for a PSA blood test or might catch pneumonia from someone in the waiting room.

I’m open minded, maybe some evidence will come to light that makes me change my strategy on this, but until then this is my best guess at the best course of action.

@Project

On the testing front, if its watch and wait as a treatment option there is a biopsy once a year and regular PSA testing to trend the level.

The biopsy is done under heavy sedation/general and has a 2 week off-work recommendation

This year I have had 2 biopsies carried out with no time off for the first one.

If your GP recommend investigation, I would advise going ahead now.

Thread resurrection; thought it timely given our news page story :

up there on the news page

Me, ononeorange, crewlie, sanny, pistola and a bunch of others are doing this in 4 weeks time to raise awareness of this horrid disease that affects so many of us, either directly or through close friends and families.

Any donations from the stw masses will be hugely welcome and all goes directly to ProstateCancer UK to fund research and early detection.

Cheers

many thanks for all the kind donations folks; I know a few on here have put their hand in their pocket. We have now hit the £2500 fundraising target and are now out to see how far beyond that we can go 🙂

the kit is coming together 🙂

Dude! Run! There’s a huge snake in yer kitchen! 😀

🙂

Note to self – book a bloody test…

My father has lived with this for 16 years – his two friends and next door neighbours were diagnosed at the same time, but sadly passed away some time ago. Over the last couple of year’s his PSA has gone up and probably doesn’t have a lot of time left 🙁

Rkk01 – get it booked and use it as a follow up Safety Moment to mine the other week … 🙂

A huge thanks to all who have donated ! Fundraising for our ProstateCancer Cairngorm ride is going great so far !

here

And this time next week we will be in the middle of it 🙂

and we made it into the local press 🙂