| Well worth £9 of anyone's money for piece of mind on 15:06 - Jun 6 with 2583 views | SaleAway |
PSA is a notoriously bad marker for prostate cancer. There are many reasons why PSA count could be up....
obviously, if you use this test as a trigger to go to the GP, then it won't do any harm, but I would encourage anyone who is worried to talk to their GP first...
also information here...
https://prostatecanceruk.org/prostate-information-and-support/prostate-tests/psa |  |
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| Well worth £9 of anyone's money for piece of mind on 15:07 - Jun 6 with 2574 views | BlueBadger |
I'm pretty sure that you can pick up Iron Maiden's fourth album for cheaper than that if you look. |  |
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| Well worth £9 of anyone's money for piece of mind on 15:09 - Jun 6 with 2554 views | hype313 |
| Well worth £9 of anyone's money for piece of mind on 15:06 - Jun 6 by SaleAway |
PSA is a notoriously bad marker for prostate cancer. There are many reasons why PSA count could be up....
obviously, if you use this test as a trigger to go to the GP, then it won't do any harm, but I would encourage anyone who is worried to talk to their GP first...
also information here...
https://prostatecanceruk.org/prostate-information-and-support/prostate-tests/psa |
Still good to get it checked, I know lots of blokes don't like going to Docs. |  |
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| Well worth £9 of anyone's money for piece of mind on 16:16 - Jun 6 with 2360 views | chicoazul |
| Well worth £9 of anyone's money for piece of mind on 15:06 - Jun 6 by SaleAway |
PSA is a notoriously bad marker for prostate cancer. There are many reasons why PSA count could be up....
obviously, if you use this test as a trigger to go to the GP, then it won't do any harm, but I would encourage anyone who is worried to talk to their GP first...
also information here...
https://prostatecanceruk.org/prostate-information-and-support/prostate-tests/psa |
Good idea, I’ll be sure to call my surgery at 08am exactly on Monday to try to get a phone appointment for the following Thursday at 4pm after being interrogated by the receptionist for an hour. |  |
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| Well worth £9 of anyone's money for piece of mind on 18:20 - Jun 6 with 2182 views | Swansea_Blue |
| Well worth £9 of anyone's money for piece of mind on 16:16 - Jun 6 by chicoazul |
Good idea, I’ll be sure to call my surgery at 08am exactly on Monday to try to get a phone appointment for the following Thursday at 4pm after being interrogated by the receptionist for an hour. |
They don’t give out free fingers up the bum to anyone you know. You have to earn a treat like that  |  |
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| Well worth £9 of anyone's money for piece of mind on 15:43 - Jul 19 with 1560 views | bluelagos |
Cheers Mr Hype.
Ordered one of these and just done the test
Really easy and no need to have a doctor fiddling around, takes just 10 mins and 5 of them is reading the instructions! |  |
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| Well worth £9 of anyone's money for piece of mind on 15:50 - Jul 19 with 1497 views | J2BLUE |
| Well worth £9 of anyone's money for piece of mind on 18:20 - Jun 6 by Swansea_Blue |
They don’t give out free fingers up the bum to anyone you know. You have to earn a treat like that |
Free fingers or three fingers?
Or three free fingers? |  |
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| Well worth £9 of anyone's money for piece of mind on 16:21 - Jul 19 with 1379 views | OldFart71 |
Back in 2019 I was diagnosed with prostate cancer. It was only diagnosed by accident as I went in with something I presumed was unrelated. The doctor asked if I had been checked lately and I said I think it was a couple of years ago, it turned out it was five years previous. The old glove went on and a feel around. She said I am sending you for a scan, which turned out to show areas on the prostate. Followed by a biopsy which is a bit unpleasant.
The result being I had prostate cancer. It was decided to go onto a watch and wait regime which entails doing a PSA every 6 months.
By late 2022 by PSA had more than doubled so it was advised that I have treatment.
To start with I went on hormone treatment and in April 2023 I had a course of Radiotherapy for six weeks, daily except weekends and was declared clear afterwards.
The thing about PSA is that I met people with a PSA running into hundreds whereas mine started just under 2 and rose to around 5 which was when treatment was advised.
The treatment itself wasn't too bad although I still have reservations that although sorting out the cancer it causes other annoying things like being a bit incontinent. Not to the extent that I wear pads or nappies etc, but a little leak occasionally.
I think the worst part was the second biopsy where they go through the peritoneum. A bit painful even though they use an anaesthetic. | | | |
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| Well worth £9 of anyone's money for piece of mind on 17:01 - Jul 19 with 1270 views | IndependentlyBlue |
| Well worth £9 of anyone's money for piece of mind on 16:21 - Jul 19 by OldFart71 |
Back in 2019 I was diagnosed with prostate cancer. It was only diagnosed by accident as I went in with something I presumed was unrelated. The doctor asked if I had been checked lately and I said I think it was a couple of years ago, it turned out it was five years previous. The old glove went on and a feel around. She said I am sending you for a scan, which turned out to show areas on the prostate. Followed by a biopsy which is a bit unpleasant.
The result being I had prostate cancer. It was decided to go onto a watch and wait regime which entails doing a PSA every 6 months.
By late 2022 by PSA had more than doubled so it was advised that I have treatment.
To start with I went on hormone treatment and in April 2023 I had a course of Radiotherapy for six weeks, daily except weekends and was declared clear afterwards.
The thing about PSA is that I met people with a PSA running into hundreds whereas mine started just under 2 and rose to around 5 which was when treatment was advised.
The treatment itself wasn't too bad although I still have reservations that although sorting out the cancer it causes other annoying things like being a bit incontinent. Not to the extent that I wear pads or nappies etc, but a little leak occasionally.
I think the worst part was the second biopsy where they go through the peritoneum. A bit painful even though they use an anaesthetic. |
Can only reinforce what OldFart says. Very similar experience to his except that l was passing blood, because of a kidney stone, and it was investigations into that that led to them finding prostate cancer. Lots of undignified stuff later I’m almost at the all clear stage
If you have any doubts or can afford to pay for a test I’d suggest strongly you get it done. Think it’s the most common cancer and one of the lowest for people coming forward to be checked. Treatments are evolving and improving all the time
Worth checking out John Holmes Says the C Word on iPlayer. Not exclusively about prostate cancer but lots of good advice and some cracking stories from celebs who’ve dealt with cancer
Best to you OldFart |  |
| Better to stay silent and be thought a fool than open your mouth and remove all doubt |
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| Well worth £9 of anyone's money for piece of mind on 21:09 - Jul 19 with 1036 views | Blue_Balls |
| Well worth £9 of anyone's money for piece of mind on 17:01 - Jul 19 by IndependentlyBlue |
Can only reinforce what OldFart says. Very similar experience to his except that l was passing blood, because of a kidney stone, and it was investigations into that that led to them finding prostate cancer. Lots of undignified stuff later I’m almost at the all clear stage
If you have any doubts or can afford to pay for a test I’d suggest strongly you get it done. Think it’s the most common cancer and one of the lowest for people coming forward to be checked. Treatments are evolving and improving all the time
Worth checking out John Holmes Says the C Word on iPlayer. Not exclusively about prostate cancer but lots of good advice and some cracking stories from celebs who’ve dealt with cancer
Best to you OldFart |
My company was sending out free tests to anyone over 40. Thought nothing of it and took one, sent it back and forgot about it.
Week or so later I get a call advising to go the my GP for a 'proper' PSA test which I did and turns out I had PC. Completely asymptomatic and without the test I'd still be none the wiser.
Fortunately given my relatively young age (47) and the low grade of cancer I'm just on 'active surveillance' with quarterly tests so when (if?) it does start to progress I should be in a good position to nip it in the bud sharpish.
So yeah, worth doing as better to find out sooner rather than later. |  | | |
| Well worth £9 of anyone's money for piece of mind on 02:18 - Jul 20 with 897 views | ArnoldMoorhen |
Anyone's money? I can think of 50% of the population who it would be wasted on! | | | |
| Well worth £9 of anyone's money for piece of mind on 07:20 - Jul 20 with 768 views | ChalonerC |
| Well worth £9 of anyone's money for piece of mind on 16:21 - Jul 19 by OldFart71 |
Back in 2019 I was diagnosed with prostate cancer. It was only diagnosed by accident as I went in with something I presumed was unrelated. The doctor asked if I had been checked lately and I said I think it was a couple of years ago, it turned out it was five years previous. The old glove went on and a feel around. She said I am sending you for a scan, which turned out to show areas on the prostate. Followed by a biopsy which is a bit unpleasant.
The result being I had prostate cancer. It was decided to go onto a watch and wait regime which entails doing a PSA every 6 months.
By late 2022 by PSA had more than doubled so it was advised that I have treatment.
To start with I went on hormone treatment and in April 2023 I had a course of Radiotherapy for six weeks, daily except weekends and was declared clear afterwards.
The thing about PSA is that I met people with a PSA running into hundreds whereas mine started just under 2 and rose to around 5 which was when treatment was advised.
The treatment itself wasn't too bad although I still have reservations that although sorting out the cancer it causes other annoying things like being a bit incontinent. Not to the extent that I wear pads or nappies etc, but a little leak occasionally.
I think the worst part was the second biopsy where they go through the peritoneum. A bit painful even though they use an anaesthetic. |
Similar journey to yours, diagnosed in 2015, declared healed 2019, and made a docu film about my journey to help men and their partners. Still going global and free! Alive and healthy at 76, 60 yrs a Town fan!
https://prostatecancerfilm.com/ | |
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| Well worth £9 of anyone's money for piece of mind on 08:53 - Jul 20 with 663 views | DJR |
| Well worth £9 of anyone's money for piece of mind on 15:06 - Jun 6 by SaleAway |
PSA is a notoriously bad marker for prostate cancer. There are many reasons why PSA count could be up....
obviously, if you use this test as a trigger to go to the GP, then it won't do any harm, but I would encourage anyone who is worried to talk to their GP first...
also information here...
https://prostatecanceruk.org/prostate-information-and-support/prostate-tests/psa |
Edited [Post edited 20 Jul 8:57]
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| Well worth £9 of anyone's money for piece of mind on 08:56 - Jul 20 with 655 views | DJR |
The following is from a Prostate Cancer UK article on self-test kits.
https://prostatecanceruk.org/about-us/news-and-views/2024/12/the-pros-and-cons-o
"Are PSA self-test kits safe?
We haven’t tested the safety of these tests ourselves.
However, some test kit providers state that they've been quality assured by the same accreditation schemes that would approve PSA testing via your GP.
In the UK, this is usually the United Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS).
Medical laboratories that meet stringent requirements for quality and competence can be given ‘ISO 15189’ accreditation by UKAS, while ‘ISO 13485’ is the relevant standard for medical devices (such as PSA testing kits).
You can check if a company has been accredited by UKAS, and whether the certificate that comes with the kit is valid, on the UKAS website.
A BBC report has warned about the dangers of PSA self-test kits and how they can give men inaccurate results leading to anxiety and false reassurance. We recommend that if you’re worried about prostate cancer and want a PSA blood test, you should speak to your GP. "
Here's a link to the UKAS website.
https://certcheck.ukas.com/
And here is a link to the BBC article, with an extract from it below.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cgl00gn15y8o
Of the five kits analysed by the BBC, one did not produce a readable result; three came back all clear; but one did show a solid dark line, indicating a PSA level above 4.0 ug/l.
A private blood test taken the same day and sent to a laboratory showed a much lower reading of 0.27 ug/l.
"As your experience shows, these rapid tests appear to have questionable accuracy," says Amy Rylance, assistant director of health improvement at Prostate Cancer UK.
"That's a big problem because they can falsely reassure people who really do have elevated levels of PSA and should seek further testing, or they can cause undue worry among people who are absolutely fine."
Online reviews appear to bear that out.
In one, a customer posted that he was "really scared" after two rapid home tests indicated a high PSA level. A later NHS test showed his reading was normal.
In another one-star review, a woman wrote that her husband took two home tests for "peace of mind" and both were negative. An NHS blood test then showed high levels of PSA and he was diagnosed with stage four prostate cancer. | | | |
| Well worth £9 of anyone's money for piece of mind on 10:01 - Jul 20 with 598 views | Whos_blue |
| Well worth £9 of anyone's money for piece of mind on 15:43 - Jul 19 by bluelagos |
Cheers Mr Hype.
Ordered one of these and just done the test
Really easy and no need to have a doctor fiddling around, takes just 10 mins and 5 of them is reading the instructions! |
I think it's the thought of someone "fiddling around" that puts people off getting checked.
Having done it, it takes seconds and (slight embarrassment aside) really isn't any drama considering the peace of mind it brings.
I might be misreading your post mate, but if you are a little put off by the thought of the experience, don't be. |  |
| Distortion becomes somehow pure in its wildness. |
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| Well worth £9 of anyone's money for piece of mind on 14:04 - Jul 20 with 404 views | TractorWood |
| Well worth £9 of anyone's money for piece of mind on 21:09 - Jul 19 by Blue_Balls |
My company was sending out free tests to anyone over 40. Thought nothing of it and took one, sent it back and forgot about it.
Week or so later I get a call advising to go the my GP for a 'proper' PSA test which I did and turns out I had PC. Completely asymptomatic and without the test I'd still be none the wiser.
Fortunately given my relatively young age (47) and the low grade of cancer I'm just on 'active surveillance' with quarterly tests so when (if?) it does start to progress I should be in a good position to nip it in the bud sharpish.
So yeah, worth doing as better to find out sooner rather than later. |
My company provide a health MoT at Nuffield every few years. I'm nearly 40 and it's basically the first time I've ever had comprehensive checks. Prostate was fine but was referred for something else that was checked over very quickly and was fine but was very worrying for a brief period.
The lack of proactive health care provision in this country is shocking. |  |
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| Well worth £9 of anyone's money for piece of mind on 15:43 - Jul 20 with 315 views | brogansnose |
| Well worth £9 of anyone's money for piece of mind on 14:04 - Jul 20 by TractorWood |
My company provide a health MoT at Nuffield every few years. I'm nearly 40 and it's basically the first time I've ever had comprehensive checks. Prostate was fine but was referred for something else that was checked over very quickly and was fine but was very worrying for a brief period.
The lack of proactive health care provision in this country is shocking. |
My father was diagnosed with PC and Addenbrokes told him that I should inform my GP so that they could carry out regular checks. I did this and the surgery said that they only checked when someone presented with symptoms. This was some time ago and ,after someone putting up a link on here this year, realising I was further in the 'concern' zone, I contacted my surgery. I basically had to lie to get a blood test. Quite frankly, despite what the NHS say and advocate doing, the reality is is very different. |  | | |
| Well worth £9 of anyone's money for piece of mind on 16:55 - Jul 20 with 253 views | DJR |
A charity, Prostate Cancer Support Organisation, came to my town in Kent last year, and I booked a test having seen a Lions' flyer for a mass testing event they were holding there.
Here is a link to upcoming events. They appear to be in the south east, which may not be of use to many, but the charity is based in Warwickshire so they may operate elsewhere.
https://pcaso.mypsatests.org.uk/Events/
I was 64 and so at greater risk due to age but I didn't have any other risk factors.
I was negative and a year after the test received the following by email.
"Our records show that you have recently passed or are near to reaching the anniversary date of a PSA test you had with us. 1 in 8 men will get significant prostate cancer in their lifetime.
We hope nothing has changed with your health since your last test with us and would like to invite you to another test event.
As advised, the frequency of PSA testing depends on your likely risk of developing an aggressive, dangerous PCa. Your risk is calculated from a number of factors:
Men of Black African or Caribbean heritage or Black mixed race (1 in 4 risk).
Family history, father, brother, uncle or grandfather had prostate cancer you are double the risk (1 in 4).
If your mother, sister, aunt or grandmother had breast or ovarian cancer you are slightly more at risk.
If your current GREEN PSA result, is in the upper 25% of the normal range.
Age, men are at more risk from age 50 plus, risk can be 1 in 6 for men 65 and over.
As you received a normal GREEN result a year ago, one of five follow-up PSA options are listed below. PSA-based screening programmes in Europe and North America using similar algorithms have shown to reduce the PC death rate by 50% or more.
Follow-up PSA in 1 year: High risk, a definite risk factor identified (risks 1, 2 or 3 above). Alternatively, a PSA in the upper 25% of the normal GREEN range.
Follow-up PSA in 2 years: Intermediate Risk, a possible risk factor identified (risks 1, 2 or 3 above). Alternatively, a PSA in the 50-74% of the normal range.
Follow-up PSA in 3 years: Low Risk, no risk factors identified and a PSA below 50% of the normal range.
No further PSA tests recommended: age 75 or over and no risk factors identified and a PSA of less than 1 ng/ml.
No further PSA tests recommended: age 81 or over.
PSA RISK CALCULATOR (ng/ml)
Age RangeMax PSA ng/mlLow Risk (0-49%)
3 Year Follow-UpIntermediate Risk (50-74%)
2 Year Follow-UpHigh Risk (75-100%)
1 Year Follow-Up
40-49 1.50 0.00 - 0.74 0.75 - 1.11 1.12 - 1.50
50-69 2.50 0.00 - 1.23 1.24 - 1.86 1.87 - 2.50
70 and over 3.00 0.00 - 1.47 1.48 - 2.24 2.25 - 3.00
Based on your latest score and the above algorithm, the recommendation is that you have your repeat test in in May 2027.
Having said this, there is of course an exception to every rule, and you may well wish to consider annual testing. The choice is yours."
I chose not to but you certainly wouldn't get this level of detail with a home test. [Post edited 20 Jul 17:01]
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| Well worth £9 of anyone's money for piece of mind on 17:36 - Jul 20 with 193 views | DJR |
I see they offer at £29.99 a "home testing" kit which enables a blood sample to be taken at home and returned to their lab for testing.
https://pcaso.mypsatests.org.uk/Orders/ | | | |
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