I asked my doc about the psa being included in my annual tests–he cited the cost and that any prostate problem discovered wouldn’t develop fast enough to cause a problem. The HMO doesn’t favor psa tests for men over 70–not cost effective.
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Each country has different ideas on health and cost
Research suggests anyone over 70 would not die of prostate cancer more likely of something else. But some of this is dated and dont take into account newer developments against normal life expectancy.
My pal at 81 got a high reading at the same time as me using psa testing, following week, biopsy and scans, they decided with his age not to operate but just do radiotherapy, he was booked like me for 34 sessions, but after 15 they said stop, did another psa and almost zero month later still zero st treatment stopped.
He also had hormonal therapy, did not want that personally
Problem with health care is down to cost.
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If you neglect a prostate problem, life expectancy is about 14 years and the latter part of that is poor health.
I disagree with your HMO, it is rarely economical to save peoples lives, but we do it for other good reasons.
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The factors that come in to play with age is the bodys ability to take invesive surgery and at that stage radiotherapy or chemotherapy is the only answer.
Whilst having my treatment, i listened to a guy, he was having monthly chemotherapy plus was signed up for 100 sessions of radiotherapy… thats 6 months of his life in treatment… dont know how he survived so much, the strain on his body must be immense. Why that was chosen i did not ask or his other heath issues, scarry stuff.
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Dont know if Don is still reading this post and story line.
But another question around the treatment.
Can you have more than one set of treatment ?
So if today you have 30 sessions of 5 mins per day… if in 5 years the cancer is detected again, can you have a further 30 treatments or is that considered a one off job ?
Or if it has moved from prostate to another organ can you have that zapped ?
If it moves ( the term is becomes metastatic) it rarely moves to one spot, so radiation is not always useful.
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Paul -
It’s usually not possible to re-irradiate the same volume that was previously treated. This is because the normal tissues would receive too much radiation from the combined treatments. (There is a little bit of radiation repair that takes place but it’s far from 100%.)
If a localized metastasis is causing a problem, radiation is sometimes used to treat the problem region. Neville is correct that metastases are usually widespread and radiation is not usually the sole treatment of these.
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Thanks for the replies and extra info, luckily i am not at that stage so it was just a question mainly about radiotherapy generally
Just in case for the audience
Many of the points I shared in my first post can be easily confirmed through the Web. Even when some of them would be considered illogical, well I shared them according with my own direct observation of many cases throughout 25 yrs. So an advise is not harmful.
Take care all of you
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The difficulty with information on the web is finding a unbiased source and making sure it is reliable and up to date. Plus not motivated by sales or gain.
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I am agree, due that is important do the research in confident sources - I know it would be tricky
Furthermore is very important have some friends and members of the family being doctors, they would have special contacts with involved with a specific illness. Thus a deep research was applied
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Before we had problem pages in magazines or papers, they turn up at doctors having read them and have the same conditions, thats now spread to internet disease… you check the condition on the net and your in growing toe nail now needs major surgery…
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I once had a rare disease that is caused by a zoonotic virus which can jump,from sheep to humans.
My doctor was unable to disgnose from the symptoms.
I self diagnosed , then looked it up on the internet and showed him pictures.
He was quite impressed , and we sat down together and invented a treatment.
Doctors cant possibly see every symptom of every disease. The internet can be helpful with medicine if used with caution.
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Not heard of that one, thought it was the insect ticks that spread from sheep to humans or dogs bites passing bacteria that can cause Lyme disease
Not that one. I had Orf disease.
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