Oi you old bastards, go get your prostate checked NOW (if you have symptoms like)

WiresDreamDisasters

I think I already mentioned this in a previous thread but my uncle has been diagnosed with prostate cancer. It seems to have already metastasised. He most likely will pass in the next 5 years.

So if you're mid-40's like I know a whole ton of you blues wankers are, stop being proud and/or lazy and go get yer ass fingered. It could save your life. Your teenage daughter is gonna need you to babysit one day.

hywelg

No no and no. You should only have your prostate checked if there are symptoms otherwise you risk of a cancer diagnosis that will only generate worry and distress based on a myth. Most people will die with prostate cancer not of it.

No doubt some of the medics on here will confirm that the side effects of unnecessary removal of the prostate can often be worse that the cancer itself. 

The message should be if you have symptoms get them checked out, if you don't, don't concern yourself about it. 

WiresDreamDisasters

Yeah yeah yeah, you know what I'm sayin' - if you have symptoms get it checked, exactly.

lovestrat74

hywelg said:

The message should be if you have symptoms get them checked out, if you don't, don't concern yourself about it. 

Exactly what my doc said to me ^^

fastonebaz

Last Tuesday when i was at the doctors, he pulled his finger out my arse, tore off his blue protective gloves and said, "Hello, now, how can I help you?"

tony99

what are the symptoms guys??

guys???

WiresDreamDisasters

Blood in yer piss.
Struggling to piss.
Pissing yerself.
Piss.

https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/prostate-cancer/symptoms/

merlin

I had a full prostate check done a few weeks ago. The guy was pretty thorough and as he was leaving the room, a doctor walked past him to my bed side. He looked at me and said, in a truly puzzled voice, "Who was that guy?". 

poopot

Just buy your toilet paper from Lidl...

you can then check your own prostate with every wipe!...

scrumhalf

fastonebaz said:

Last Tuesday when i was at the doctors, he pulled his finger out my arse, tore off his blue protective gloves and said, "Hello, now, how can I help you?"

Was this a social visit? 

cacophony

or when you are mid exam, and suddenly realise he's got a hand on each of your shoulders...

prowla

mattdavis

hywelg said:

No no and no. You should only have your prostate checked if there are symptoms otherwise you risk of a cancer diagnosis that will only generate worry and distress based on a myth. Most people will die with prostate cancer not of it.

No doubt some of the medics on here will confirm that the side effects of unnecessary removal of the prostate can often be worse that the cancer itself. 

The message should be if you have symptoms get them checked out, if you don't, don't concern yourself about it.  

I understand the sentiment behind this but it really isn’t that simple. There is a very little evidence to suggest that classical prostate urinary symptoms are a reliable predictor of prostate cancer vs benign prostate disease. Usually by the time those symptoms occur from a cancer it will be at least locally advanced. By the time other symptoms like bone pain occur for a cancer that’s spread then things get trickier anyway and there won’t be a curative option. 

This is a journal paper about it and the beginning summary is fairly understandable I think. 
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5403675/

I know it’s unpopular to give slightly imprecise answers about these really difficult issues, but the truth is you need to discuss your individual case with your doctor.

There is no national screening programme for the very real issue you are alluding to (ie the fear is many very minor tumours will be picked up that would never affect someone in their natural lifespan, but some very aggressive treatments could be offered with possible bad side effects.)

But for some groups (eg a black man with a strong family history would be considered high risk for prostate cancer) an annual PSA blood test screening with a physical examination is thought to be useful, as early detection could well be lifesaving and life prolonging. 

And I often say to lower risk patients who ask is that it comes down to their own philosophical viewpoint - ie where are you on the spectrum about attitude to risk? Do you generally want to do everything you can to mitigate risk whatever the cost, or do you prefer to wait and see and take life as it comes? Most people are somewhere in the middle - but it needs discussion. 

I’ll shut up now.

tony99

solid intel there, good stuff Matt

professorben

I had my prostrate checked recently, something I’d been worrying about a bit, and finally plucked up the courage to book an appt to see the doctor, and Dr Alex was of course a woman, a bit of a chat and she sealed the deal with the words “ Of course I’ve got smaller fingers than the Male Doctors...”

 less than a few seconds and it was done, all good, it’s less awkward than you think, and it could save your life.

strtdv

After the doctor finished examining my prostate and had left the room, the nurse came in and said the three words no-one wants to hear:

"Who was that?"

WiresDreamDisasters

professorben said:

I had my prostrate checked recently, something I’d been worrying about a bit, and finally plucked up the courage to book an appt to see the doctor, and Dr Alex was of course a woman, a bit of a chat and she sealed the deal with the words “ Of course I’ve got smaller fingers than the Male Doctors...”

 less than a few seconds and it was done, all good, it’s less awkward than you think, and it could save your life.

Signature is relevant it seems.

mgaw

poopot said:

Just buy your toilet paper from Lidl...

you can then check your own prostate with every wipe!...

so apt coming from @poopot ;

hollywoodrox

Some family friends mentioned it to my dad, he had no symptoms or anything. He had it. Went and had it removed is fine now  but surgeon said it was particularly nasty and was a good job he went . I got checked with a blood test  all clear.

Other stuff though I would wait for symptoms . I remember years ago , they were saying on the radio we should check our balls for lumps, so I thought, no harm in it had a feel round and confused normal bumps and stuff for cancer , kept feelin around ended up with ball ache, went to doctor very worried he checked , all clear , but by now I;was obsessed , balls still aches kept feelin em, went back again, no nothing to worry about. If you are a born worrier best not to check as you can start feeling stuff that’s not there and worrying over it and making it worse.

TheOtherDennis

It is a difficult decision, really.

I went to my gp to ask about it because my eldest brother was told he had a very nasty variant that was putting his life in serious danger. (As it happens, he's still around four years later.)

He told me (and printed off the research conclusions to show me) that in two surveys involving over 200,000 men, it was found that those who had been checked were more likely to get it than those who hadn't been checked. He told me that unless I had the symptoms I wasn't to worry, and when I was able to say that I didn't have any symptoms (and I still don't btw), he told me not to bother so I didn't.

So while you get cases like @hollywoodrox, you also get those like his dad.

I also understand where @mattdavis is coming from (well he is a doc), because we're all different individuals.*

On a similar level, 7 or 8 years ago, I wound up having a full on colonoscopy that turned out just to be level one internal haemorrhoids, which was a relief of a sort.



*Cue someone saying "I'm not!" Life of Brian stylee

Snap

Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men, and one of the biggest killers. Why wouldn't you want it checked?

Most cancers if spotted early enough are curable. The problem with blokes is we don't get checked out enough, and we ignore symptoms. Then it's often too late.