murraybiscuit
Executive Member
I'm keen to get involved, and have started with the 'tache.
I thought it would be helpful to get a bit of info on the disease and its prevention at the same time.
Which raised the issue of screening.
To summarise my understanding of the issue:
1. Both methods of screening (Prostate specific antigen & Digital rectal examination) run a risk of false positives due to various factors.
2. If the screening turns out positive, biopsies themselves carry some risk.
3. If the prostate is then removed, it can cause further complications of infection, incontinence, ED etc.
4. Risk can be better correlated to race, age and genetic predisposition. Higher risk is older black men with a family history of the condition (whites, asians and mixed race carry a moderate to lower risk respectively).
5. High risk individuals should really only be tested after the age of 40.
6. There's no way of knowing how fast the disease develops using screening. It often develops too slowly to pose a threat during the person's lifetime, so yanking the prostate out isn't always necessary and can cause greater issues.
7. The American Cancer Association is reluctant to make a ruling on the correlation of screening to decrease in morbidity. Their advice is to chat to your doctor and assess your risk factors first rather than to run off for a test.
Has anybody here had any experience with prostate cancer, or is a HCP/GP/Urologist?
Are the risks well understood by doctors and patients?
Who is most qualified to consult on this issue? Urologists, oncologists or GP's?
I thought it would be helpful to get a bit of info on the disease and its prevention at the same time.
Which raised the issue of screening.
To summarise my understanding of the issue:
1. Both methods of screening (Prostate specific antigen & Digital rectal examination) run a risk of false positives due to various factors.
2. If the screening turns out positive, biopsies themselves carry some risk.
3. If the prostate is then removed, it can cause further complications of infection, incontinence, ED etc.
4. Risk can be better correlated to race, age and genetic predisposition. Higher risk is older black men with a family history of the condition (whites, asians and mixed race carry a moderate to lower risk respectively).
5. High risk individuals should really only be tested after the age of 40.
6. There's no way of knowing how fast the disease develops using screening. It often develops too slowly to pose a threat during the person's lifetime, so yanking the prostate out isn't always necessary and can cause greater issues.
7. The American Cancer Association is reluctant to make a ruling on the correlation of screening to decrease in morbidity. Their advice is to chat to your doctor and assess your risk factors first rather than to run off for a test.
Has anybody here had any experience with prostate cancer, or is a HCP/GP/Urologist?
Are the risks well understood by doctors and patients?
Who is most qualified to consult on this issue? Urologists, oncologists or GP's?
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