You guys need to be making a noise about the tests Share to your Facebook etc The reason these tests become "unavailable" is acceptance and not taking it further
I also have been told by my GP that the test is not that reliable and or accurate, but this is all they have, so whats the option - do nothing. Not that you should have to, especially if its not the case ,but tell them you are feeling different "down there" and the flow is a bit slower. While your in there ask him for a quick examination, pull your knees up and it over before you know it. Then hit them with the section 4 (Thanks Ducbird) I called this morning for an appointment, so booked in now. On occasion when the doctor has been reluctant to do anything, which is rare because ours are quite good, I just say I have worked all my life and think I have paid enough tax to be able to ask for whatever treatment I feel I need. Then just sit there and tell them I am not happy with their decision, and say this is what I want. Cheers Gaz
False positives are the main issue with the tests. But, those can then be eliminated by further investigation.
In my recent experience many GPs are bloody lazy and/or despondent and simply can't be bothered with anything more than handing out painkillers, anti-inflammatories, antidepressants or antibiotics. Anything else requires too much time and paperwork.
If interested you could look up "Gleason scores"; Wikipaedia has a good article. My Gleason was 4+4 which indicated prostatectomy was justified. Over 10 years ago now and still on the green side of the sod. Latest PET scan at Barts did not find any detectable secondaries/metastases. But since PSA tests are not zero, there must be a tiny secondary somewhere. Not worth doing anything about it in my case.
As per my previous post, I got one of the self test kits from Amazon. Simple kit. Finger prick and what resembles a Covid test but you drop blood not snot onto the test. Result easy to determine. Mines negative so no need to contact GP now. Worth a try as it’s a quick and easy way to decide whether to push your GP for a ‘proper’ test etc.
this is a whole different issue - but upon recently hearing the latest status for my GP re: access, i can fully understand taking a DIY route if results obtained are valid.
i think many of us by now know someone who has had Prostate Cancer, and particularly if it's a loved one, then will have learnt all they can* about it at some stage. It's controversial, but I would only push for a PSA test if i had other symptoms that strongly suggested that further investigation was needed. Before * I can remember a GP flatly refusing to grant me one, when i casually mentioned that i would like one if possible and after he explained in detail, i came to understand more. https://www.woodlanemedicalcentre.c...on/psa-prostate-why-its-not-a-screening-test/
On the subject of test results, if you have the NHS App on any of your devices you are able to interrogate it for, amongst other things, your test results. So when I go and see my oncologist I already know what my PSA level was.
When I first saw this document I was astounded. However I came to realise that whilst the heading prominently displays the NHS logo it is not a NHS publication and doesn’t appear to be endorsed by them. Frequently publications like this bang on about symptoms. Well, I never experienced any and I know I’m not the only one to say this. So I pose the question, if you are made aware that you have prostate cancer would you then continue happily through life without doing anything about it? The other thing I have just noticed is that BMJ 2013;346;f325 is over 12 years old and I’m positive that Prostate Cancer UK will happily advise the advances of their’s and others’ research in this field during this time.
not that i was initially posting only because of the NHS, but the centre at Wood Lane have told me on phoning, that the NHS do endorse these views, and that's why they have included them in the hope of educating patients. here's the "official" one if it helps*:- https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/prostate-cancer/ * including the wording:- "PSA tests are not routinely used to screen for prostate cancer, as results can be unreliable."
They did last year but I could be bothered to book in. 20 mins on phone and a 2-3 week wait. Then another 1-2 weeks to get a blood test and another week after that for results.
Very interesting. If you watch the video the consultant talks about the risk level being determined by the PSA level, the appearance of the tissue samples and the texture of the prostate. In order that this can be done you will already have had a PSA test, an MRI scan and a biopsy. He also goes on to say that 80% of 80 year old men have prostate cancer, some never knowing and not dying from it. If you had it would you want to know or not? The problem with that is they can’t tell you whether it will kill you without telling you whether you have it or not. Catch 22. Your first PSA test is really to indicate whether further investigations are to be recommended. The oncologist will be more interested to see if there is a trend developing in the antigen levels rather than any individual reading.
