psa test

The prostate cancer charities are trying very hard to persuade the government to have a campaign and also get a screening programme underway

I didn't know about PSA until I had cancer !.

Support charities like:

www.prostate-cancer.org.uk  

and

http://www.prostateuk.org/

and

www.orchid-cancer.org.uk

Mal

Its unlikely the government will agree to a screning programme until we have a better diagnostic test than the PSA blood test.

Of course its a ridiculous situation (I am another guy who knew nothing about the PSA test or even that I had a prostate until it was TOO LATE!)

The PSA test is only an indicator but if everyman had an annual test then with careful monitoring prostate problems can be identified at a stage when they can be cured. Each of the 10,000 men a year who die of prostate cancer (1 man every 53 minutes) will have passed a window of opportunity of a cure. Consultants and GPs talk about overtreatment! of course there is because they panic when a man presents with a PSA of 10ish and a gleason 6, they offere them prostatectomy, RT or in a quite whisper (AS)active surveillance (which means a bit more work for GPs) most men of course opt for an immediate cure BUT many of them would go through their lives without prostate cancer. That is where the majority of the overtreatment is. If a PSA score of 20 was used instead of 10 a Swedish study has shown that overtreatment is cut from 39% to 14%. we men need the help of our wives and girlfriends to spread the word that a man needs to know his PSA score and have it checked regularily. If a GP argues against giving a man the PSA test he should says he wants one because he doesnt want to be one of those 10,000 men a year who die from the disease.

keith

Hi Orange,

If you go and ask your GP for a PSA test Im sure he would have arranged one for your husband. They are obliged to make arrangements for tests like that.

If not ask him why not.

Take care and be safe Love Sarsfield.xxx

I think the point Orange is making is that neither her nor her husband were aware of the PSA test and therefore they wouldnt ask for a test they did not know exists.

This is the whole problem. The healthcare professionals know about the PSA test but very few men in the street are aware of it.

In the USA according to Prof Kirby (Prostate Clinic) 90% of men know their baseline PSA score whereas only 6% of men in he UK know theirs.

Orange also states that women are routinely invited for a test for the biggest (non skin)cancer killer of women yet men are not routinely invited to be tested for the biggest cancer killer of men.

Love to all those on this fantastic site whether they be patients or carers they all do a great job.

Not only are prostrate cancer tests not made more aware to men..neither are the tests for bladder cancer.....a simple urine test can pick it up....i took several urine samples to the doctors over a 3 to 4 month period before i was refered to a specialist ...not enough awareness is made of some of the male cancers and there simptoms....