On Tamsulosin for 9 years.

Helllo Pancho99 

A warm welcome to the Macmillan Online Prostate forum, although I am so sorry to find you here.

I do hope the recovery from the surgery is going well - and I wish you well at the next PSA test.

I can't give an exact answer to the Tamsulosin question - however I suspect 9 years ago it was prescribed by your GP as an answer to your flow issues and just kept on repeat as it was working. 

I have full access to my NHS records on the NHS app and keep an eye on what my GP puts after any test results - they are quite fond of the statement "OK for this patient" without reviewing the case. I have had to contact my GP twice in the last 3 years over this statement. Once it needed some medication adjustment.

Best wishes - Brian.

Yes I agree the Docs treating you should have reminded you to get regular PSA checks or instgated them themselves - at least annually but often they don't.  We need to be proactive and ask for the tests ourselves.  I advise any man in their mid 40's to ask for a PSA test at least every other year and from age 50 to 55 every year.  I know some have problems getting their GP's to do this but you can get the test done privately which is something I wish I had done as like you I had various problem with enlarged prostate and had a TURP in 2004 to assist with flow.  Thankfully during the TURP they take material away to be biopsied and no cancer was present then.  I did continue to have annual PSA tests which my GP was loathe to do so I then got the urologist at the hospital involved and got him to write to my GP so managed to get regular tests. 9 to 10 years later my PSA began climbing over the "higher side of normal"  which resulted in my  PSA rising to 9 when I asked my GP if I could have PSA checks more often and didn't he think that was worth a referral - he refused and I should have gone and had tests done privately because the next year it had gone up to 13 and I was then sent for biopsy which gave the same Gleeson Score as yours and an MRI which gave a staging of T2 or T3 as the MRI showed the tumour was at the edge of the prostate so cancer cells could already have escaped into the surrounding area.  It was then thought that the best route for me was to have 9 months of Hormone Treatment (HT) and a month of radiotherapy which would treat the whole area.  The Oncologist at the hospital was surprised that with my history I hadn't been referred when my PSA reached 9.  Anyway that was nearly 9 years ago now and my PSA is undetectable everything is back to working as well as it did prior to HT and RT  so it seems like a "cure".  Still have annual PSA checks and I do get concerned before them but so far so good.  Please tell all your male friends and relatives to ensure they have PSA tests regularly remembering that if you have close male relatives, Father, brother or have sons your diagnosis of Prostate Cancer makes them about 3 times more likely to get it as well.  3 years after my diagnosis my younger brother was also diagnosed with Prostate Cancer but thankfully he was 2 years younger than I was when diagnosed and diagnosed earlier in the progression so could have Brachytherapy..  My sons are both having regular checks and so far so good.  They are at a higher risk as their Father and 2 Uncles (both my brother and my wife's brother were diagnosed with Prostate Cancer).  I thought I was doing everything right by getting tested but really wish I had gone with my gut and had more regular tests once the PSA got to 9 or had a private consultation with a urologist.  We can't turn the clock back but we can help other men to access tests and treatments earlier.