I think he just enjoys saying "butthole"

[rubato]

Oral and anal sex can transmit HPV and there has been a corresponding rapid rise in anal and head and neck cancers as a result; everyone should get the HPV vaccine before they become sexually active.


yrs,
rubato

[oldr_n_wsr]

PSA was 3.3. The doc was happy as it has been up to 9. It bounces around a lot. When it was 9 I had some kind of biopsy that came back negative.
Also said my testosterone level was good (forgot the number).
And said that my prostate was a little enlarged but had no bumps or lumps.
Good check up overall.
Full physical in mid july.
sucks getting old

[RayThom]

PSA was 3.3. The doc was happy as it has been up to 9. It bounces around a lot. When it was 9 I had some kind of biopsy that came back negative.

My blood panel from last month gave me the following values:
Component.......Your Value.......Standard Range
PSA, Total........ 3.31 ng/mL.... 0.00 - 4.00 ng/mL
TESTOSTERONE.. 726 ng/dL...... 193 - 740 ng/dL

So, by standards, I'm good to go for the near future. BTW -- the PSA values can, and will, bounce higher relative to your last "release." It's good to refrain from sex for a few days prior to a PSA test to avoid a false/positive.

[Bicycle Bill]

sucks getting old

Beats the hell out of the alternative....

-"BB"-

[BoSoxGal]

sucks getting old

Beats the hell out of the alternative....

-"BB"-

Do any of us really know that?

[oldr_n_wsr]

BTW -- the PSA values can, and will, bounce higher relative to your last "release." It's good to refrain from sex for a few days prior to a PSA test to avoid a false/positive.

Refrain?!?!!? Heck no.
I'll take the false positive.
MC and snowmobile riding have caused an elevated level too. Snowmobiling more-so as the trails can get "bumpy".
I used to go every 3 months after my "scare" but now it's every 6months. We adjusted the appointments to June and December. Not too far into MC season and usually to early for snowmobiling.

[ex-khobar Andy]

My company used to give those of us who worked with hazardous waste an annual physical. For years the doc was Richard "Fingers" Grant (name changed). Then he got an assistant - Dr Lucy. First time I went to see her, during the vision and hearing and blood pressure and pulmonary capacity etc etc portions of the exam, all I could focus on were her fingers. She had the longest nails I have ever seen. I don't think I gave comprehensible answers to any of her questions because my mind was racing.

Luckily and unknown to me the PSA test had just been approved, and she did not have to plumb my rectum with those fingers. Thank you FDA.

[rubato]

The PSA test by itself is not a reliable screening test for prostate cancer.

https://www.cancer.gov/types/prostate/psa-fact-sheet

Is the PSA test recommended for prostate cancer screening?

Until about 2008, many doctors and professional organizations encouraged yearly PSA screening for men beginning at age 50. Some organizations recommended that men who are at higher risk of prostate cancer, including African American men and men whose father or brother had prostate cancer, begin screening at age 40 or 45. However, as more was learned about both the benefits and harms of prostate cancer screening, a number of organizations began to caution against routine population screening. Other organizations recommend that men who are considering PSA screening first discuss the risks and benefits with their doctors.

Currently, Medicare provides coverage for an annual PSA test for all Medicare-eligible men age 50 and older. Many private insurers cover PSA screening as well.

What is a normal PSA test result?

There is no specific normal or abnormal level of PSA in the blood. In the past, most doctors considered PSA levels of 4.0 ng/mL and lower as normal. Therefore, if a man had a PSA level above 4.0 ng/mL, doctors would often recommend a prostate biopsy to determine whether prostate cancer was present.

However, more recent studies have shown that some men with PSA levels below 4.0 ng/mL have prostate cancer and that many men with higher levels do not have prostate cancer (1). In addition, various factors can cause a man’s PSA level to fluctuate. For example, a man’s PSA level often rises if he has prostatitis or a urinary tract infection. Prostate biopsies and prostate surgery also increase PSA level. Conversely, some drugs—including finasteride and dutasteride, which are used to treat BPH—lower a man’s PSA level. PSA level may also vary somewhat across testing laboratories.

Another complicating factor is that studies to establish the normal range of PSA levels have been conducted primarily in populations of white men. Although expert opinions vary, there is no clear consensus regarding the optimal PSA threshold for recommending a prostate biopsy for men of any racial or ethnic group.

In general, however, the higher a man’s PSA level, the more likely it is that he has prostate cancer. Moreover, a continuous rise in a man’s PSA level over time may also be a sign of prostate cancer.

What are some of the limitations and potential harms of the PSA test for prostate cancer screening?

Detecting prostate cancer early may not reduce the chance of dying from prostate cancer. When used in screening, the PSA test can help detect small tumors that do not cause symptoms. Finding a small tumor, however, may not necessarily reduce a man’s chance of dying from prostate cancer. Some tumors found through PSA testing grow so slowly that they are unlikely to threaten a man’s life. Detecting tumors that are not life threatening is called “overdiagnosis,” and treating these tumors is called “overtreatment.”

Overtreatment exposes men unnecessarily to the potential complications and harmful side effects of treatments for early prostate cancer, including surgery and radiation therapy. The side effects of these treatments include urinary incontinence (inability to control urine flow), problems with bowel function, erectile dysfunction (loss of erections, or having erections that are inadequate for sexual intercourse), and infection.

In addition, finding cancer early may not help a man who has a fast-growing or aggressive tumor that may have spread to other parts of the body before being detected.

The PSA test may give false-positive or false-negative results. A false-positive test result occurs when a man’s PSA level is elevated but no cancer is actually present. A false-positive test result may create anxiety for a man and his family and lead to additional medical procedures, such as a prostate biopsy, that can be harmful. Possible side effects of biopsies include serious infections, pain, and bleeding.

Most men with an elevated PSA level turn out not to have prostate cancer; only about 25 percent of men who have a prostate biopsy due to an elevated PSA level actually have prostate cancer (2).

A false-negative test result occurs when a man’s PSA level is low even though he actually has prostate cancer. False-negative test results may give a man, his family, and his doctor false assurance that he does not have cancer, when he may in fact have a cancer that requires treatment.

Prostate cancer kills about as many people per year as breast cancer but gets < 1/3 the research dollars.


yrs,
rubato

[BoSoxGal]

According to the American Cancer Society, breast cancer kills about 42,000/yr. and prostate cancer about 26,000/yr.

Yeah, 'about as many'.

[Bicycle Bill]

According to the American Cancer Society, breast cancer kills about 42,000/yr. and prostate cancer about 26,000/yr.

Yeah, 'about as many'.

That's because both men and women can get breast cancer, but only men can get prostate cancer.  I grant you that breast cancer is not all that common in men (only about 1% of all cases are found in males), but it *can* happen.
Which reminds me .... now that my insurance at my new job is in effect, I supposed I should reschedule that appointment with the dermatologist for the Mohs procedure she wants to do on that basal cell thingie on my chin.

-"BB"-

[BoSoxGal]

It's fewer than 2000 men who die of breast cancer every year, so women are still dying from breast cancer at substantially higher rates than men are dying of prostate cancer.

[Scooter]

Plus most men who die of prostate cancer are already elderly, while most women who die of breast cancer are middle aged.

[Joe Guy]

Yeah, those elderly men should be happy they didn't die younger. We really don't need more prostate cancer research. More money should be spent trying to keep unelderly people alive. They're more valuable.

[Scooter]

It's a shame that is how you feel; it certainly bears no resemblance to anything that anyone else has said.

[Joe Guy]

[BoSoxGal]

Besides which, it's not a policy thing. Breast cancer research is better funded because victims and their families/friends got organized and made it happen, raising a lot of the research funds through Komen and other organizations. If you guys want more research for your special cancer, get organized and make it happen - don't just rely on your male privilege. The majority of medical studies since medical studies began have been crafted around a male population, it's not as if you've been neglected.

[Crackpot]

What the hell should we not rely on our male privilege? All we have to do is point out to congress that prostate issues are a leading cause of impotence and the funding dollars will come rolling in

Right?

[RayThom]

Yeah, those elderly men should be happy they didn't die younger. We really don't need more prostate cancer research. More money should be spent trying to keep unelderly people alive. They're more valuable.

Maybe this reveals yet another one of my many character flaws but I read it as dripping with sarcasm. I even chuckled for a moment especially knowing who wrote it.

I apologize to anyone who was offended by my response. I'll try to be much more serious in the future.