I guess that most, but not all, male Pedelec members are 50 years or older, so at some stage must have contemplated the pros and cons of PSA tests. For those that wonder what I am going on about PSA stands for Prostate-specific antigen and the level of this can be determined by a simple blood test.
The PSA level, can, but not always so, give an early indication of abnormalities with the prostate, in particular cancerous growths. This is useful because when symptoms of prostate cancer eventually present themselves, there is a moderate probability that it has spread to a secondary site which worsens the prognosis for recovery.
On the face of it, the decision to have your PSA level tested is an easy one and makes perfect sense, or does it?
If the PSA test reveals an abnormal level, then further investigation is required which usually entails scans and probably a biopsy. The difficult thing with prostate cancer is that you can have it and not know about it or indeed never know about it. You could be 50 or younger and have prostate cancer now and live to be 100 and it will never trouble you. On the other hand, it might spread to your bones or liver and cause serious life threatening problems.
So what happens if your PSA test shows positive and a biopsy reveals that cancerous cells are present? Do you submit to invasive surgery, which could be totally unnecessary and which is likely to have a negative impact on your quality of life? Do you do nothing and quite likely live a full life and die of something totally unrelated many years later? If you take the decosion to do nothing, what would it be like living with the knowledge that you have cancerous cells that may or may not spread?
So, the PSA test and whether to have it carried out is not an easy decision, and by asking yourself the question, the deliberations raise even more issues.
My reson for thinking about this is two fold. Firstly, I have just attained the age of 50 and thankfully have enjoyed good health thanks in part to regular exercise, good weight control and no alcohol (I just don't like alcohol, rather than denying it myself). I have checks for other health issues and am currently reviewing prostate cancer screening. I'm by no means a health fanatic, running scared of every ailment going, but I think that it makes sense to reduce ill health risks if the impact on leading a normal life is not adversely affected. The second reason is that I have recently read an article regarding 3 leading Urologists, all of who have prostate cancer, one is terminally ill. Interestingly, all 3 regularly tested their PSA level, which makes me think that there may be some benefit to having the test done.
Sorry this isn't bike related, although I understand that cycling can raise your PSA level, but I wondered if anyone else has had any thoughts regarding this subject and would like to share them. I suppose we are all likely to be of an age where this topic is relevant.
The PSA level, can, but not always so, give an early indication of abnormalities with the prostate, in particular cancerous growths. This is useful because when symptoms of prostate cancer eventually present themselves, there is a moderate probability that it has spread to a secondary site which worsens the prognosis for recovery.
On the face of it, the decision to have your PSA level tested is an easy one and makes perfect sense, or does it?
If the PSA test reveals an abnormal level, then further investigation is required which usually entails scans and probably a biopsy. The difficult thing with prostate cancer is that you can have it and not know about it or indeed never know about it. You could be 50 or younger and have prostate cancer now and live to be 100 and it will never trouble you. On the other hand, it might spread to your bones or liver and cause serious life threatening problems.
So what happens if your PSA test shows positive and a biopsy reveals that cancerous cells are present? Do you submit to invasive surgery, which could be totally unnecessary and which is likely to have a negative impact on your quality of life? Do you do nothing and quite likely live a full life and die of something totally unrelated many years later? If you take the decosion to do nothing, what would it be like living with the knowledge that you have cancerous cells that may or may not spread?
So, the PSA test and whether to have it carried out is not an easy decision, and by asking yourself the question, the deliberations raise even more issues.
My reson for thinking about this is two fold. Firstly, I have just attained the age of 50 and thankfully have enjoyed good health thanks in part to regular exercise, good weight control and no alcohol (I just don't like alcohol, rather than denying it myself). I have checks for other health issues and am currently reviewing prostate cancer screening. I'm by no means a health fanatic, running scared of every ailment going, but I think that it makes sense to reduce ill health risks if the impact on leading a normal life is not adversely affected. The second reason is that I have recently read an article regarding 3 leading Urologists, all of who have prostate cancer, one is terminally ill. Interestingly, all 3 regularly tested their PSA level, which makes me think that there may be some benefit to having the test done.
Sorry this isn't bike related, although I understand that cycling can raise your PSA level, but I wondered if anyone else has had any thoughts regarding this subject and would like to share them. I suppose we are all likely to be of an age where this topic is relevant.
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