advertisement


prostate cancer,

Prostate cancer and benign prostatic hypertrophy are not the same thing
The former may not give any symptoms until it has spread. The latter will give symptoms, usually hesitancy when passing urine(you might have to wait a bit before the flow starts), a reduced power in the urine stream. Terminal dribbling, where the flow of urine doesn’t end cleanly but stops and starts and getting up at night to pass urine. Almost all men will get this, if they live long enough! Some at age 50 and some not until 150!
There are medical treatments for this, usually alpha blockers like tamsulosin. If the prostate gets very big and medical treatments don’t work then surgery to reduce the pressure of the prostate on the urethra ( the tube from the bladder through the penis to the outside can be done. Retention of urine where the man cannot pass urine at all is usually treated with a catheter through the urethra to drain the bladder ( and often to allow the kidneys to recover)
PSA and digital rectal examination aren’t great screening tools for prostate cancer but are the best we currently have.
If you have paternal relatives with prostate cancer or are black, then you are at greater risk of prostate cancer and should start being screened in your 50s
There are indeed differences in opinion as to whether we should be screening for prostate cancer with these inefficient tools. After all in many cases the cancer once found is indolent and the man dies later with his cancer rather than from it. However, I am of the opinion that you can only follow a watch and wait policy IF you already suspect that there is a cancer to watch. I don’t want any more men approaching retirement to be faced with a new diagnosis of advanced prostate cancer.
There are also different opinions on the value of the DRE. For what it’s worth I can’t see that it does any harm except to one’s dignity.
Get checked guys
John
I haven’t re read this so apologise for any typos etc
 
docstocker said:
Prostate cancer ..... may not give any symptoms until it has spread.
Click to expand...
This is the $64K question in my mind, having asked a post operation sporting colleague if he had had any symptomatic warnings (no, he hadn't been aware of any). You've said 'may not' but are there tell-tale signs which might flag up a concern? The symptoms I thought might've been correlated were ones relating to the other prostate problem (enlarged prostate?). It strikes me as odd that a potentially fatal cancer cannot lead to signs of protracted weight loss, tiredness, feelings in the undercarriage etc.

Re. PSA numbers, I read of 150 recently but a blood test reading I had was around the 14 mark. Baffles me; is it a logarithmic scale? Sorry about the info. request but it's not often we have a medical doctor in the house (with hifi interest too ! :)
 
docstocker said:
Prostate cancer and benign prostatic hypertrophy are not the same thing
The former may not give any symptoms until it has spread. The latter will give symptoms, usually hesitancy when passing urine(you might have to wait a bit before the flow starts), a reduced power in the urine stream. Terminal dribbling, where the flow of urine doesn’t end cleanly but stops and starts and getting up at night to pass urine. Almost all men will get this, if they live long enough! Some at age 50 and some not until 150!
There are medical treatments for this, usually alpha blockers like tamsulosin. If the prostate gets very big and medical treatments don’t work then surgery to reduce the pressure of the prostate on the urethra ( the tube from the bladder through the penis to the outside can be done. Retention of urine where the man cannot pass urine at all is usually treated with a catheter through the urethra to drain the bladder ( and often to allow the kidneys to recover)
PSA and digital rectal examination aren’t great screening tools for prostate cancer but are the best we currently have.
If you have paternal relatives with prostate cancer or are black, then you are at greater risk of prostate cancer and should start being screened in your 50s
There are indeed differences in opinion as to whether we should be screening for prostate cancer with these inefficient tools. After all in many cases the cancer once found is indolent and the man dies later with his cancer rather than from it. However, I am of the opinion that you can only follow a watch and wait policy IF you already suspect that there is a cancer to watch. I don’t want any more men approaching retirement to be faced with a new diagnosis of advanced prostate cancer.
There are also different opinions on the value of the DRE. For what it’s worth I can’t see that it does any harm except to one’s dignity.
Get checked guys
John
I haven’t re read this so apologise for any typos etc
Click to expand...
My BPH symptoms started when I was about 57, urgency, frequency ,occasional incontinence. Been on the alpha blockers since, I’ll echo a few others - don’t be embarrassed, go to your GP , get it checked out if you have any symptoms.
 
Do you find the alpha blockers make you dizzy or affect your bp ? I had them for 2 days only and couldnt tolerate them !!
 
Sorry to hear this Andy.
Hopefully everything will go ok, and look forward to seeing you soon.
Best Dave and Mark
 
Mike Reed said:
This is the $64K question in my mind, having asked a post operation sporting colleague if he had had any symptomatic warnings (no, he hadn't been aware of any). You've said 'may not' but are there tell-tale signs which might flag up a concern? The symptoms I thought might've been correlated were ones relating to the other prostate problem (enlarged prostate?). It strikes me as odd that a potentially fatal cancer cannot lead to signs of protracted weight loss, tiredness, feelings in the undercarriage etc.

Re. PSA numbers, I read of 150 recently but a blood test reading I had was around the 14 mark. Baffles me; is it a logarithmic scale? Sorry about the info. request but it's not often we have a medical doctor in the house (with hifi interest too ! :)
Click to expand...
Prostate cancer is considered curable if is restricted by the capsule of the prostate. Once spread my this it is treatable but this palliative rather than curative. There may still be a good prognosis. The symptoms you describe of tiredness, weight loss and lack of well being tend to be associated with spread of a cancer either by local invasion or distant spread (metastasis).
Prostate cancer is divided into five groups by the Cambridge prognostic group system
This uses a system based on how nasty and different from normal tissue the cancer looks and how far the cancer has spread (this is the Gleason score)
Probably best you Google these as easier for you to read than for me to type out)
PSA reading is based upon your age. These might vary from laboratory to laboratory so it is always best to look at your own results and the normal range for your laboratory.
150 would be very high but depending on the units of measurement which may be different in other countries
14 would be high enough to need investigation
Remember that a urine infection, manipulation of the prostate and ejaculation can raise the PSA
J
 
docstocker said:
Remember that a urine infection, manipulation of the prostate and ejaculation can raise the PSA
Click to expand...
That is very informative; many thanks, and the last one of those I have heard of/read beforehand so timing one's blood test might be apposite.
 
Mike Reed said:
That is very informative; many thanks, and the last one of those I have heard of/read beforehand so timing one's blood test might be apposite.
Click to expand...

I had heard that too and I’m sure there must be a basis, but I can report having had a test the following day - so to speak - and the PSA test was normal. Now I would refrain for future tests that I’ve been made aware of the possibility, but it’s interesting that it made no difference on that occasion.

One thing that “manipulation of the prostate” may involve is cycle seats. A guy at the local sports club had a positive test and on consultation he described his recovery from a leg/foot injury involving a lot of work on the exercise bike - sure enough a repeat test following a lay off was normal. We have quite a few cyclists on here so perhaps worth bearing in mind.
 
I remember getting the transrectal bIopsy maybe six years ago, went fine with no infection all. I couldn’t help but jump everytime the trigger was pulled but certainly not painful.
 
Remember guys if your mother had breast cancer you are at an increased risk of Prostate cancer. My bro had it at only 55, I expect to get it also, I'm only glad we live in an age of advanced medicine. My poor grandmother was found dead at age 60 from breast cancer which had obv metastasized. My mother had breast cancer at around the same age, 55, she had a full recovery, and died aged 77, though she spent the intervening 2 decades moaning about some shit or other! My folks warned me life goes quickly, they weren't wrong! It seems only yesterday I was a carefree young man smoking and drinking my way merrily through life, and now it's clear that the rather abrupt end could come at any moment. Ah well, as my old mate Dave says 'it is what it is'.
 
Bravefart said:
Remember guys if your mother had breast cancer you are at an increased risk of Prostate cancer. My bro had it at only 55, I expect to get it also, I'm only glad we live in an age of advanced medicine. My poor grandmother was found dead at age 60 from breast cancer which had obv metastasized. My mother had breast cancer at around the same age, 55, she had a full recovery, and died aged 77, though she spent the intervening 2 decades moaning about some shit or other! My folks warned me life goes quickly, they weren't wrong! It seems only yesterday I was a carefree young man smoking and drinking my way merrily through life, and now it's clear that the rather abrupt end could come at any moment. Ah well, as my old mate Dave says 'it is what it is'.
Click to expand...
I wasn’t aware of the maternal breast cancer link! My mother died at 55 from breast cancer, it was caught early but even with a mastectomy and chemo it still took her life. That was 35 years ago , I’m sure there will have been medical advances since then .
I was chatting with a neighbour yesterday, an ex nurse. She was astonished I’m taking 19 tablets a day, but I happened to have my prescription list in my wallet and talked her through it. Even though all are required she was surprised I function as well as I do o_O
 
i wasnt aware either .

www.verywellhealth.com

How BRCA Genetic Mutations May Also Play a Part in Prostate Cancer

Research has uncovered a potential prostate cancer-breast cancer link. Learn about the link between these two seemingly very different cancers.
www.verywellhealth.com www.verywellhealth.com

Research has shown that there may be a link between prostate cancer and breast cancer. A family history of breast cancer is associated with an increased risk of prostate cancer. Certain genetic mutations that increase the risk of breast cancer may result in an increased risk of prostate cancer in men.1
Pilarski R. The role of testing in hereditary pancreatic and prostate cancer families. Am Soc Clin Oncol Educ Book. 2019;39:79-86. doi:10.1200/EDBK_238977
And there are also similar biological processes that can contribute to the development of both of these types of cancers.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.


advertisement


Back
Top