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A PSA on PSA's
#376873 05/23/12 01:38 PM
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BobKay Offline OP
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Hi! It's Bob again, your medical conscience.

There has been a lot of news coverage lately about PSA tests (prostate-specific antigen) and their value. This is not a new debate, as media would have us believe. It has been going on for almost a couple of years now.

At the ages many of us (you) are at, you may be advised to screen for prostate cancer as a regular course of preventative care. It's usually around the 50 mark, Mark. A PSA is a simple blood test.

False positives have always been a problem and there's the rub, so to speak. Here's what is likely to happen to you if you get a positive result.

First, they will redo the blood test. If it turns out positive again, they will want to do a biopsy. That may or may not be conclusive. You may end up (sorry) facing a decision about what to do without the sort of complete information one should have to make that sort of decision.

Many men panic at the test results and opt to have surgery. We now know that many, many of them did not need it. In many cases, prostate cancer is a pretty slow mover. It may cause BPH (a bladder/urinary condition), or impotence, or nothing you notice at all. The problem with the surgery is that it does lead to impotence in more than 30% of men and about the same rate of permanent urinary problems.

What to do?

If your health care provider does not explain all of this to you when discussing whether or not to do a PSA, find another one. Good physiscans have been all over this for a while now and know the bugaboos involved. Just understand that having the test could lead to a biopsy (not THAT horrible) to confirm or deny; then quite possibly, another, bigger decision.

The jury is totally out. My Dr. gave me all the info, (well over a year ago) then asked if I wanted to do the PSA. I said, "yes," but it was a completely informed response. Now you have a little more info if ("when," scaredy pants, WHEN, not if) you have to make this decision.

If you find out your physician went ahead and screened for PSA w/o telling you beforehand, throw an absolute nutty (on YouTube, please).


Always call the place you live a house. When you're old, everyone else will call it a home.
Re: A PSA on PSA's
BobKay #376884 05/23/12 03:55 PM
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If you get your prostate tickled every now and again, is that considered an acceptable test?


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Re: A PSA on PSA's
BobKay #376885 05/23/12 03:56 PM
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Thank you, Bob.

Why would I throw a nutty if my physician screened my blood test for PSA? I mean, that part's not invasive, and I'm not sure anybody should be scared to have more information. It seems like the "what next?" part is where things get more interesting and accountable.

I do deeply appreciate the caution about the inconclusive nature of biopsies. That is terribly important.

AND, I've been getting checked, with normal results so far.

From Pints for Prostates

Quote:
...Recent studies have shown that PSA screening does a great job of discovering prostate cancer but doesn’t translate into many saved lives. Some prostate cancer is so slow growing, it does not cause death, but screening can’t predict how fast a man’s cancer will grow.

Without that knowledge, PSA screening can also lead to needless treatment that diminishes quality of life. Some men choose surgery or radiation treatment, and that can cause impotence and incontinence, at least temporarily. Others opt for “watchful waiting.”

The news is confusing to middle-age men who have been urged to get the test annually to reduce their chances of becoming a casualty of the No. 1 cancer killer of men...


I remain grateful for how generously folks on this board share their knowledge.


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Re: A PSA on PSA's
tomtuttle #376891 05/23/12 04:44 PM
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BobKay Offline OP
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The reason to be rightfully pissed is contained in your quote. You need to know all of that stuff BEFORE you agree to have the test done, nes pas?


Always call the place you live a house. When you're old, everyone else will call it a home.
Re: A PSA on PSA's
BobKay #376907 05/23/12 07:07 PM
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Where the hell is the French Grammarbot?


bibere usque ad hilaritatem
Re: A PSA on PSA's
tomtuttle #376912 05/23/12 07:39 PM
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Originally Posted By: tomtuttle
Where the hell is the French Grammarbot?

Which one?

Professeur Vin?



his crusty sidekick, Garçon Pain?



Les Lunettes Turquoise?



or, last but not least, the bastardly Robot de Bâtard Français?




Bears, beets, Battlestar Galactica.
Re: A PSA on PSA's
tomtuttle #376915 05/23/12 08:54 PM
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Originally Posted By: tomtuttle
Where the hell is the French Grammarbot?

He's busy changing..."monkey" to "minkey".


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Re: A PSA on PSA's
tomtuttle #376917 05/23/12 09:46 PM
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It means "isn't it so?" However the correct spelling is n'est-ce pas.

In 4 quarters of college French, I swear I was taught that is was n'est pas, but that was nearly 40 years ago and I suspect the memory is JUST a tad clouded.


Jack

"People generally quarrel because they cannot argue." - G. K. Chesterton
Re: A PSA on PSA's
BobKay #376954 05/24/12 01:42 PM
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You can tell that the Bots are French because they wear berets. Must be a national requirement or something.


Bears, beets, Battlestar Galactica.
Re: A PSA on PSA's
tomtuttle #376955 05/24/12 01:46 PM
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BobKay Offline OP
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Originally Posted By: tomtuttle
Where the hell is the French Grammarbot?


Ha! french grammar. I'm not an idiot, Tom. Next thing, you're gonna try to convince me that there are declensions and conjugations in Ebonics.


Always call the place you live a house. When you're old, everyone else will call it a home.
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