18 minutes ago, Ron Altier said:

My PSA slowly rose from 1.4 to 2.0 in 6 years. My Dr insisted I get the sample test done. Less than 25% of this test show anything and it still may not mean cancer. Mine came back as the most aggressive kind. My advise is to get a PSA yearly, some Drs are saying it isn't necessary.   I am living proof that it can save your life.

 

That is how they caught mine. I had to get a full exam every year for my certifications at work. We had our own Medical Clinic on-site. They offered the PSA as an courtesy when you hit 40 for a $10 charge. At 44 mine came back .3 points over the upper acceptable limit and they suggested I see a Urologist for further testing. A couple of weeks later it was up an additional .5 point. He scheduled a biopsy and they barely found it. Stage II, T2

 

The doctor told me to go back and kiss the folks at the Medical department for offering the test. If I hadn't gotten the PSA test I would have never known. He told me if it had gone until I started getting the test at 50 (which was the recommend age to start at that time) it would have been too late and there would have been nothing they could have done.

 

For the next 10 years after surgery the Urologist did a PSA to ensure there were no signs of a relapse.

 

Now they say it doesn't work, it's no good, it's a waste of time...makes you wonder!

I was diagnosed two years ago with the least aggressive cancer.  Doctor suggested to just keep an eye on it.  Said at my age I would probably die of something else before the cancer got me.  I go twice a year for the PSA test and digital exam and have had two biopsy procedures.   

9 hours ago, HandyDan said:

I was diagnosed two years ago with the least aggressive cancer.  Doctor suggested to just keep an eye on it.  Said at my age I would probably die of something else before the cancer got me.  I go twice a year for the PSA test and digital exam and have had two biopsy procedures.   

Dan, they told me the same thing. Couldn't see the downside of the Cyberknife procedure. My last PSA was normal. Get another one next September. That'll be a year from the last one.

 

Some of the older guys I worked with could actually brag about not seeing a doctor, never been in a hospital. Sadly 3 of them died of colon cancer and others of advanced prostate cancer. 

16 hours ago, Ron Altier said:

Some of the older guys I worked with could actually brag about not seeing a doctor, never been in a hospital.

Got some of those guys at work too Ron, cept their brag was on the dental side of it, I'd always reply, "Ya, I can tell".

On 6/24/2017 at 9:27 AM, John Morris said:

Got some of those guys at work too Ron, cept their brag was on the dental side of it, I'd always reply, "Ya, I can tell".

I worked with two guys over the years who never went to a dentist and their teeth looked like there should have been banjos playing in the background.