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Thread: One in eight...

  1. #1

    One in eight...

    ...of us men will get prostate cancer sometime in our lives.

    Well, if that stat is correct, 7 of you lucky bastards are in the clear!

    My PSA* was tested over a few months, and was fluctuating in the "slightly over normal" range. Though not dangerously high, my GP referred me for further tests.

    So I had a flow rate test (You pee into a machine) and internal examination. Again, I was told there's nothing obvious, and was asked if I wanted to have my PSA monitored by regular blood tests by my GP, or I could opt for a biopsy.
    I asked for the biopsy - after all, the earlier anything wrong is detected, the easier it is to treat.
    Well, they routinely take 8 - 12 samples, in my case they took eleven. Uncomfortable, but not painful, and my pee was tinted pink with blood for about 10 days (this is normal).
    A couple of weeks later, I went for my results.
    Who do you think I saw there?
    None other than my GP - as a patient! No wonder he had "lowered his threshhold" for referring patients.
    My results?
    Of the eleven samples, ten were clear.
    The eleventh showed signs of cancer.
    I've since had MRI and bone scans, results in about 2-3 weeks.

    But, going by the marginality (is that a real word?) of my tests, I'm hopeful (and hoping) that this potentially horrible condition has been caught early enough, not just to treat, but to cure.
    Telling my wife and kids(all adults) has been the hardest part, and they've taken the news harder than I have done.

    I still have to tell my mother and sisters, but I'll wait until I know more before giving them the news.


    So, any of you approaching a 'certain age' - get your PSA tested, it could save your life.

    I'll keep you posted.


  2. #2

    Re: One in eight...

    Sorry to hear that Bobh, I don't know how old you are, but they do say that most men die with it than from it.
    From what you're saying, it sounds pretty borderline, so fingers crossed for you mate. Stay positive.

  3. #3

    Re: One in eight...

    Fecking hell. What a sh1t Monday morning.

    I'm no doctor but as an outsider the fact that only 1 sample showed signs of cancer is (in the big scheme of things) hopefully a good indication.

    Fingers crossed for good news.

  4. #4

    Re: One in eight...

    I'll be 61 on Thursday.

    I was told when I got the biopsy results that there were no signs of it breaking out - the MRI and bone scans should confirm this.

    As you say, Prostate cancer in itself is not fatal, but it can break out and cancer elsewhere can be.

    Some stats I've read-

    Over 90% of ALL men with PC survive over 5 years after detection, this excludes other causes like accidental death, but includes those cases where the cancer has already spread.
    If you confine the stats to detected whilst still contained in the prostate, the survival rates are ridiculously high, and for much longer than 5 years.

  5. #5
    International jon1959's Avatar
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    Re: One in eight...

    Thanks for sharing that, and very good advice.

    From what you have described it does sound as if you have done all the right things and caught it very early. Fingers crossed but you should be fine.


  6. #6

    Re: One in eight...

    I had a tour of a manufacturing facility last week when they make the tools that go up the old urethra Franklyn to perform prostate surgery.
    They are a lot thicker than you would expect. It brought a tear to the eye just thinking about it.
    Apparently if they are having trouble getting it up there they have a blade that they can slide up there and pull out to slice the inside of your John Thomas to open it out a bit, as apparently a slice heals better than a 'rupture'.

  7. #7

    Re: One in eight...

    Quote Originally Posted by redjk wrote on Mon, 13 July 2015 10:26
    I had a tour of a manufacturing facility last week when they make the tools that go up the old urethra Franklyn to perform prostate surgery.

  8. #8

    Re: One in eight...

    Quote Originally Posted by bobh wrote on Mon, 13 July 2015 10:34
    I had a tour of a manufacturing facility last week when they make the tools that go up the old urethra Franklyn to perform prostate surgery.
    Quote Originally Posted by redjk wrote on Mon, 13 July 2015 10:26
    They are a lot thicker than you would expect. It brought a tear to the eye just thinking about it.
    Id say these instruments were probably about the same girth as a pepperami.

  9. #9

    Re: One in eight...

    Quote Originally Posted by bobh wrote on Mon, 13 July 2015 08:50
    ...of us men will get prostate cancer sometime in our lives.
    Best wishes pal.

  10. #10

    Re: One in eight...

    All the best Bob. Hope that it goes well for you.

  11. #11
    International Vimana.'s Avatar
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    Re: One in eight...

    Get tested and stay cheerful guys.

    Good luck Bob, sure it will turn out fine.

    I had my PSA test about 6 months ago. All fine, but now I see the importance of doing so regularly.

    I realise the NHS is under strain, but we all have to stay well, and it cost a lot more to treat us if we become ill.

  12. #12

    Re: One in eight...

    Good health mate

  13. #13

    What are the symptoms

    What are the symptoms ?

    Did you feel anything different in yourself - or was it just a regular check?

    Good luck with everything

  14. #14

    Re: One in eight...

    Quote Originally Posted by bobh wrote on Mon, 13 July 2015 10:34
    I had a tour of a manufacturing facility last week when they make the tools that go up the old urethra Franklyn to perform prostate surgery.
    Quote Originally Posted by redjk wrote on Mon, 13 July 2015 10:26
    They are a lot thicker than you would expect. It brought a tear to the eye just thinking about it.
    Fingers (and legs) crossed you won't need it anyway.

  15. #15

    Re: What are the symptoms

    Quote Originally Posted by Jimmy Jimmy wrote on Mon, 13 July 2015 11:12
    What are the symptoms ?
    Pro-active screening is the ONLY way to be sure of catching this condition early.

  16. #16

    Re: One in eight...

    Scan results!!

    First, the bone scan.
    They inject a mildly radioactive substance into a vein, then you go away for a couple of hours, then they do a scan. The radioactive stuff collects at cancers, so they show up.
    This was NORMAL.
    The cancer has not spread out. Phew!

    The MRI scan.
    This is meant to see exactly where and how big the cancer is.
    Noisy, but painless.

    Apparently, the cancer is too small to show up. Another , but it does rule out some forms of treatment, specifically,if they can't pin-point the cancer, they can't do brachytherapy (injecting targeted radioactive beads to kill the cancer).
    So I'm in line to receive a combo of radiotherapy and hormone treatment. Should be painless, but will be a pain in the arse as I have to visit Velindre on a daily basis for about six weeks.
    But I can put up with that, as I should be cancer-free well before Christmas! Wha-hey!!
    I shouldn't really say that, though - I'll have to be monitored regularly for several weeks/months before that is official, and then monitored for the rest of my natural.



    But if nothing else, this thread might convince some of you to talk to your GPs about screening - a simple blood test to monitor your PSA.

    Catch the beast early - it could save your life.

  17. #17

    Re: One in eight...

    Quote Originally Posted by bobh wrote on Tue, 21 July 2015 14:15
    Scan results!!
    That's great news , good luck.

  18. #18

    Re: One in eight...

    Quote Originally Posted by bobh wrote on Tue, 21 July 2015 14:15
    Scan results!!
    Good luck with it all mate. Very selfless to be thinking of others whilst going through it yourself.

  19. #19

    Re: One in eight...

    Quote Originally Posted by bobh wrote on Mon, 13 July 2015 10:34
    I had a tour of a manufacturing facility last week when they make the tools that go up the old urethra Franklyn to perform prostate surgery.
    Quote Originally Posted by redjk wrote on Mon, 13 July 2015 10:26
    They are a lot thicker than you would expect. It brought a tear to the eye just thinking about it.
    Made me think of that small fish in South America which swims up your piss if you slash in the river and then gets lodged in your penis.

  20. #20
    International Mrs Steve R's Avatar
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    Re: One in eight...

    Quote Originally Posted by bobh wrote on Tue, 21 July 2015 14:15
    Scan results!!
    Great news, all the best Bob.

  21. #21

    Re: One in eight...

    Quote Originally Posted by bobh wrote on Tue, 21 July 2015 14:15
    Scan results!!
    Best of luck, but I'm sure everything will be okay - although I'm certain there have been times when it seemed far from the case, you're, almost certainly, better off going through all of this than you would have been if you had just carried on in blind ignorance.

  22. #22

    Re: One in eight...

    Quote Originally Posted by bobh wrote on Tue, 21 July 2015 14:15
    Scan results!!
    Last week I was discharged.

  23. #23

    Re: What are the symptoms

    Quote Originally Posted by bobh wrote on Mon, 13 July 2015 16:44
    What are the symptoms ?
    Quote Originally Posted by Jimmy Jimmy wrote on Mon, 13 July 2015 11:12
    Did you feel anything different in yourself - or was it just a regular check?
    but, as the piece says. there is a benign enlargement of the prostate which produces the same sort of symptoms. Also, when I was doing a lot of research last year, I read about plenty of men who had no noticeable symptoms being diagnosed with cancer, so, as Bob says, it's probably best for all men over a certain age to ask for the simple blood test which can be carried out at your local surgery.

  24. #24

    Re: What are the symptoms

    Quote Originally Posted by the other bob wilson wrote on Tue, 21 July 2015 14:52
    What are the symptoms ?
    Quote Originally Posted by bobh wrote on Mon, 13 July 2015 16:44
    Did you feel anything different in yourself - or was it just a regular check?
    Quote Originally Posted by Jimmy Jimmy wrote on Mon, 13 July 2015 11:12
    Good luck with everything
    And the good old trusty digital exam.

  25. #25

    Re: One in eight...

    Good news

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