Their screening programme OBVIOUSLY works. I was trying to make the case for screening in the UK to be as extensive as the USA.

An ideal number of deaths would be nil, until that is achieved, at least they are trying in the USA. Our government hides behind rubbish claims that extra screening would be bad for men, women get numerous tests for Breast Cancer, loads of them are also negative, should they be abandoned? of course not!

I felt so proud that for the first time a high ranking doctor was interested in what he had written, I feel that the doctor would use it for the good of everyone in there fight with this cancer. Thank you for asking him to put it all down on paper, I know he can express his feelings and views in writing, he always keeps a diary.
Jean

The USA has a population of over 300 Million. The UK has a population of about 60 Million.

In the UK about 10,000 men die of Prostate cancer each year.
The USA has 5 times as many people. So, we should expect about 50,000 deaths in the USA from Prostate cancer. WRONG, only 30,000 a year die.

Still, the case for PSA screening is not proven?

Here is my reply to this comment:
ONLY??? 30,000 men that is still a lot of men and if you add in the men who have been treated and possibly cured because their prostate cancer was caught at a stage that was treatable you can see the number would be enormous.
Why are more men being treated? Well its because men and therir families are becoming more aware of the dangers of ignoring the health of their prostate.
Screening? We should certainly be offering screening to those men most at most at risk the afro/american men so often get overlooked in American society yet they are in the high risk group. So the question should be ‘How do we inform the men who dont visit their doctor, of the risks?’
Give our men the chance of saying NO or YES to the tests that lead to a diagnosis of prostate cancer at a stage when a cure may be possible. Keith S. Cass (19th Sept 2011).

I was diagnosed with prostate cancer at the age of 57 not having experienced any problems or ill health.
In 40 years of working I think I had only ever been sick for 2 weeks.
I had gone to see my GP for painkillers for a painful hip and back, to enable me to finish a building job I was doing before Christmas and he suggested that I return in the New Year for a routine MOT, i.e. blood tests.
I was pretty complacent about it and never intended to make such an appointment, but my WIFE did it for me and I went along for the tests … cholesterol, diabetes, and PSA – which I hadn’t heard of.
Within two days the surgery had contacted me regarding the result of the PSA test.
I had a DRE and was referred to a Consultant Urologist.
Following on from there I had a needle biopsy (which confirmed the presence of cancer cells) and scans, and was asked what I wanted to do. The options were – “watch and wait” ; surgery or radiotherapy.
In the meantime, we had researched other options and I decided I would try brachytherapy and went to Leeds where this particular procedure was being done.
I had a course of Zoladex injections for a few months to try and reduce the size of the prostate in readiness for the procedure .. but unfortunately in my case it was not successful (prostate was too large) and the nbrachytherapy was not an option.
I then underwent radiotherapy at Velindre hospital and experienced very few side effects.

What I would say is – thanks to my GP I was lucky for this to be diagnosed in its early stages, BUT at the time, I didn’t know, and it wasn’t explained to me that such pain in the pelvic area ( the reason for my visit to the GP) could be as a result of prostate cancer extending outside the prostate gland itself.
I wouldn’t have been so complacent if I’d known or it had been explained to me.
Also, when attending the hospital.. I appreciate I was not one of the worst cases.. and I also apprecite any decision had to be mine – but I felt at the time that the professionals couldn’t make up their mind which course of action was best for me.

I know that a high reading in the PSA test in itself is not necessarily indicative of cancer, but it is the only method we currently have and it is a starting block or a marker.

Since having been diagnosed I have urged as many men as possible (over 50) to request this test. BUT, I would urge caution here… if you don’t want to know the answer, or cant handle the results of the test, this can be a problem.

I think there needs to be much more publicity about the PSA test.
Like most cancers, if it is detected early enough the long term outcome is far better.

Before having the biopsy I asked for a guesstimate of the chances of my having prostate cancer on my PSA readingat the time and was told 30%… I appreciate it was only an educated guess… but it proved to me how important it was to have the biopsy, which detected the cancer.

I felt I had to keep asking questions… the information was not given easily… especially when it came to surgery and the risk of subsequent incontinence. It was a deciding factor for me to go for radiotherapy when I was told in answer to my question the risk of incontinence following surgery was 70%.
I felt I needed as much information as possible to make an informed decision.
(The contributor wants to remain anonymous but he is in contact with red sock via email)

“…although I have cancer it hasnt got me”.

I have a 48 year old friend recently diagnosed with prostate cancer and your story has helped to put things in perspective.

Dominic Rai
Cardiff