NFR Prostate Cancer

[Gloucester White]

As the thread is live again, I thought I would add an update. A few people have been kind enough to send me private messages asking how I am doing. In one week it will be 10 months since my diagnoses of stage 4 pancreatic cancer. 9 days ago I had a CT scan as my consultant wants to know why I'm not dead! Haven't seen the results yet. I received a Fitbit for my birthday in April, and entered my weight as 183 pounds, today it is 182. Severe weight loss is a sign that the patient is circling the drain, so I must be doing something right. So glad I refused the palliative chemo. 

Really hope that the scan is good news. Tough one to beat but you're doing remarkably well and long may it continue.

Thank you.

[I Ronic]

Thanks for the update Gloucester. Any load shared is easier to carry and there's alot of anecdotal evidence that shows a problem, worry or an illness shared is also hugely beneficial to the recipient. So don't feel we're here just for the good news.
Do you remember the Juve game. Second leg at CC already 2 down and they score another within five minutes of the start. Game over. Our Europa journey was coming to an end. Or so most of us thought.
Zamora gets one back, grabs the ball and brings it back to the centre circle. Zoltan gets another. Adds another from the penalty spot and we're level.
Then Dempsey's cross/shot floats almost in slow motion over the head of the goalie, into the net and the whole place goes loopy.
Wherever determination and positivity live there's hope :)

[Barrett487]

As the thread is live again, I thought I would add an update. A few people have been kind enough to send me private messages asking how I am doing. In one week it will be 10 months since my diagnoses of stage 4 pancreatic cancer. 9 days ago I had a CT scan as my consultant wants to know why I'm not dead! Haven't seen the results yet. I received a Fitbit for my birthday in April, and entered my weight as 183 pounds, today it is 182. Severe weight loss is a sign that the patient is circling the drain, so I must be doing something right. So glad I refused the palliative chemo. 

Keep fighting GW, thoughts are with you

[Somerset Fulham]

Good lad. 

[Gloucester White]

Thanks guys. Your encouragement really helps. Although I've just watched England's first half and am feeling a bit suicidal 

[HV71]

Thanks guys. Your encouragement really helps. Although I've just watched England's first half and am feeling a bit suicidal 

I can understand that - keep going Gloucester White - your openness and spirit are both an example and an inspiration to us all . Top man .

[Bill2]

Ok boys

Lets start with a few things

It is not "discussed" by men for various reasons, we need to look at it

I have been diagnosed with it but luckily enough it is only about 6 months old and I have had fantastic care from the NHS and an amazing surgeon who has explained everything so well so I will survive

Often there are no outward signs so when you find out it can be too late

Given that
1. It is a taboo subject - all of you get tested please. Its only a blood test, you dont get a finger up your ar5e. Its now 50+ years old people who are getting it
2. I am lucky that it has been caught early and will probably die from other thing than the cancer so again get tested so you can catch it early
3. 1 in 8 men get it and if caught early enough they all live long lives 10 years plus

I was diagnosed with this some years ago, but fortunately not the type you appear to have. My treatment consists of regular blood tests and bi-annual biopsies, which are most undignified and uncomfortable.
The real problem I have is the drug regime to shrink the prostate, however, they have significant side effects. I will go no more than that, but having a more serious form of cancer which can be treated by radiotherapy etc can be better in the long  run. But most importantly keep an eye for the signs but these don't always manifest themselves so get a blood test.

[Logicalman]

Awful news emerging from the NHS on BBC News   

Men 'will lose right to prostate cancer tests'


Middle-aged men could lose the right to be tested for prostate cancer if they are not showing symptoms under new government plans.

The Department of Health and Social Care has released guidance that grants GPs the power to decide who is given a blood test to help identify the disease, according to a letter sent to health organisations on Thursday that has been seen by The Daily Telegraph.

Until now, any man over the age of 50 without symptoms has been entitled to a prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test via their GP.

The new guidance has been criticised by Prostate Cancer Research as a "shocking betrayal and backward step that will condemn thousands more men each year to a late and incurable diagnosis".

Lord Cameron of Chipping Norton, the former prime minister, who was treated for prostate cancer after taking one of these tests, said it was a "backwards step". He told The Telegraph: "Screening is essential to catch cancers early when they can be more effectively and successfully treated. Only due to testing, my cancer was caught and treated in time.

"I urge the new prime minister and health secretary to be brave and bold — stop the complexity and confusion and introduce a more progressive and life-saving policy: a proper, targeted screening programme that involves all those at higher risk. Without it, more men will die and more families will lose a loved one. Heed the warnings — this is avoidable and can be done."

The health department said the present guidance was ambiguous and the intention had always been for the final decision to rest with the GP.

There has been a rise in demand for the PSA test following the prostate cancer diagnoses of high-profile figures including Cameron, Sir Chris Hoy, the Olympic cycling champion, and Jeremy Clarkson, the Sunday Times columnist.

The government recently decided to reject the option to carry out widespread prostate cancer screening, opting instead to introduce a programme for a small group of men who are at genetically high risk of developing the disease.

Now, a letter sent to health organisations from an unnamed official at the health department's secondary prevention directorate said: "If a patient is worried about prostate cancer, then they can ask their GP about having a PSA test. As the health professional, the GP will consider the patient's cancer risk to help with reaching a judgment on whether undertaking a PSA test is the right option for the patient, whilst clearly laying out to the patient the pros and cons associated with doing so."

The plans to reduce access to the PSA test have been criticised as a false economy that could condemn thousands of men to an incurable disease in an effort to reduce waiting lists.

A spokesman for the health department said the policy had not been changed as the final decision was always intended to lie with the GP. He said that the guidance had to be "retired" because it was ambiguous, adding: "Every man still has the right to ask their GP for a PSA test and it remains the case that the final decision rests with GPs."


Mod Note: Please be respectful of the No Politics rule in any responses.

[sunburywhite]

Lets face it boys, when you are in your 70's you will be showing your ar5e to all and sundry

[spikey norman]

Lets face it boys, when you are in your 70's you will be showing your ar5e to all and sundry

Not just your arse Sunburywhite!

[C Block]

After being on a waiting list for 13 months I finally got a phone call inviting me in on the 15th September at Heatherwood Hospital, for an Aquablation treatment to try and shrink my enlarged prostate,
I'm not looking forward to it, but there you go what can I do,
If anybody has had the same treatment and you've got something positive to say then I'm all ears,
If you've only got negative things to say, then perhaps hold those thoughts until at least the 16th
Many thanks

[bobbo]

After being on a waiting list for 13 months I finally got a phone call inviting me in on the 15th September at Heatherwood Hospital, for an Aquablation treatment to try and shrink my enlarged prostate,
I'm not looking forward to it, but there you go what can I do,
If anybody has had the same treatment and you've got something positive to say then I'm all ears,
If you've only got negative things to say, then perhaps hold those thoughts until at least the 16th
Many thanks

just to say good luck 🙏🏻 for positive results .

[Southcoastffc]

Aquablation therapy has exceptional clinical success rates, offering significant, long-lasting urinary relief that directly rivals traditional surgeries while maintaining a much higher safety profile.  Good luck.

[Gloucester White]

Stopping routine tests for prostrate cancer is a disgrace. Imagine the outcry if scans for breast cancer were halted.

Last week I celebrated surviving one year since I was diagnosed with stage 4 pancreatic cancer.

On the minus side, my last scan showed the cancer was 'progressing', and I can now feel a lump in my stomach which I think is a tumour on my liver.

Katy and I are still researching alternative treatments and we have found one that looks promising. Cancerous cells feed off glucose and this treatment blocks the intake of sugar. I've lost a fair bit of weight since starting the treatment, so it seems to be working. I also found out why chemotherapy is so useless: it is well known that chemo kills off healthy cells as well as cancerous ones, but more important it doesn't kill off cancer stem cells, which is why so often cancer returns.

Still feeling good and staying positive.

Tony

[Fulham 442]

Stopping routine tests for prostrate cancer is a disgrace. Imagine the outcry if scans for breast cancer were halted.

Last week I celebrated surviving one year since I was diagnosed with stage 4 pancreatic cancer.

On the minus side, my last scan showed the cancer was 'progressing', and I can now feel a lump in my stomach which I think is a tumour on my liver.

Katy and I are still researching alternative treatments and we have found one that looks promising. Cancerous cells feed off glucose and this treatment blocks the intake of sugar. I've lost a fair bit of weight since starting the treatment, so it seems to be working. I also found out why chemotherapy is so useless: it is well known that chemo kills off healthy cells as well as cancerous ones, but more important it doesn't kill off cancer stem cells, which is why so often cancer returns.

Still feeling good and staying positive.

Tony

Thank you for this informative post.  Glad to hear you are still feeling good and staying positive and wishing you all the very best.

[bobbo]

Stopping routine tests for prostrate cancer is a disgrace. Imagine the outcry if scans for breast cancer were halted.

Last week I celebrated surviving one year since I was diagnosed with stage 4 pancreatic cancer.

On the minus side, my last scan showed the cancer was 'progressing', and I can now feel a lump in my stomach which I think is a tumour on my liver.

Katy and I are still researching alternative treatments and we have found one that looks promising. Cancerous cells feed off glucose and this treatment blocks the intake of sugar. I've lost a fair bit of weight since starting the treatment, so it seems to be working. I also found out why chemotherapy is so useless: it is well known that chemo kills off healthy cells as well as cancerous ones, but more important it doesn't kill off cancer stem cells, which is why so often cancer returns.

Still feeling good and staying positive.

Tony

Thank you for this informative post.  Glad to hear you are still feeling good and staying positive and wishing you all the very best.

yes me too wishing any of you with that dibilitating disease positive progress fighting it.

[Gloucester White]

Stopping routine tests for prostrate cancer is a disgrace. Imagine the outcry if scans for breast cancer were halted.

Last week I celebrated surviving one year since I was diagnosed with stage 4 pancreatic cancer.

On the minus side, my last scan showed the cancer was 'progressing', and I can now feel a lump in my stomach which I think is a tumour on my liver.

Katy and I are still researching alternative treatments and we have found one that looks promising. Cancerous cells feed off glucose and this treatment blocks the intake of sugar. I've lost a fair bit of weight since starting the treatment, so it seems to be working. I also found out why chemotherapy is so useless: it is well known that chemo kills off healthy cells as well as cancerous ones, but more important it doesn't kill off cancer stem cells, which is why so often cancer returns.

Still feeling good and staying positive.

Tony

Thank you for this informative post.  Glad to hear you are still feeling good and staying positive and wishing you all the very best.

Thank you.

Just read some very interesting news. The treatment I have recently started is an odd one: it is used to treat animals for a different ailment, but scientists in 1976 found it cured many cancers in humans. The drug companies managed to hush it up, then in 2002 other scientists, not knowing of the 1976 tests made the same discovery. Doctors are not allowed to use the treatment as the FDA have not added it to the list of permitted drugs - the reason for their decision is no double blind trials have been conducted; but of course they haven't because such trials cost a fortune and who will pay for a trial? Not the drug companies who usually do this as they can't charge a fortune for later use.

BUT now the State of Florida is starting such a trial. Many hundreds of cancer patients successfully self-medicate with this for the cost of a cup of coffee each day, so if Florida come up with the same results, cancer treatment could be drastically changed. Unfortunately for me, pancreatic tumours are the hardest to treat as they have a fibrous coating, but my new treatment has resulted in remission for some and in others it has resulted in a reduction in the tumour size, which means I can live with it.

[sunburywhite]

Good luck to you Tony, you have been fighting this for a long time and are still with us

You positive outlook and being a grumpy bastard (lol your words not mine) are helping you for sure

Lets hope for a meet up at Wembley this year

[I Ronic]

I've got a good feeling about this season GW so keep going.
If I'm wrong then it will be next season. So you know what you have to do 

[Gloucester White]

Grumpy? Me?!! Thanks guys, doing my best to keep going. I've told my wife, sorry, but she will have to delay finding the toy boy!