WWTBAM Bored

The creator of Dilbert.

https://www.breitbart.com/politics/202 ... iagnosis/

Adams is 68. That's the same age I was when I was diagnosed with prostate cancer. It doesn't get to the stage that Adams is reporting without giving plenty of warning in terms of elevated PSA levels that routine screenings could catch. But a lot of men refuse to get this checked, and those are the consequences. Adams's cancer has metastasized and spread to his bones, and he reports he's in a lot of pain. He may not have checked until he was in considerable pain, at which time it appears it was too late.

I never had any pain and was surprised when the doctor told me about my test results following my annual checkup. They couldn't confirm the diagnosis without further testing, and before they could do so, the hospitals shut down for COVID as far as elective surgery was concerned. (My followup appointment to confirm the diagnosis got canceled and wasn't rescheduled for about six months.) It was almost a year after my initial suspect blood test that I was able to get surgery, and I was very worried about the delay involved. However, I got through it okay.

(I'm not going to get in a political discussion about Biden's situation and what he or others knew or should have known.)

O.K. I have a medical question regarding this.

Before I moved, my Primary Care Physician would do the old fashion digital exam along with a PSA screen. My new physician only looks at PSA. Should I request the digital exam? It would be uncomfortalbe, to say the least, requesting that (and not sounding like it is something I want for other than medical reasons).

BackInTex wrote: ↑

Tue May 20, 2025 7:08 am

O.K. I have a medical question regarding this.

Before I moved, my Primary Care Physician would do the old fashion digital exam along with a PSA screen. My new physician only looks at PSA. Should I request the digital exam? It would be uncomfortalbe, to say the least, requesting that (and not sounding like it is something I want for other than medical reasons).

This probably isn't same as your situation, but Jeff was 51 when diagnosed. He hadn't had any psa prior nor digital exam. His gleason score was very high. Had a biopsy, I think T3 stage. Prostate removed. No radiation, etc. Had some other stuff removed.
After that he may have had a couple digital pokes. But just constant monitoring. Psa went up 2022-2023 and pet scan showed recurrence after 20 years. Radiation and hormone therapy, psa undetectable.

Net net is I would think, unless you have pain, pee probs, etc, psa monitoring makes sense.

My PCP has short fingers, so she told me that if I really wanted a digital exam, she would have to refer me to another doctor. I told her I didn't want one that badly. I have an annual PSA test along with the other blood tests.

Why the standard test for prostate cancer often misses the most dangerous types

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/heal ... 3f24675630