@oxfordrob
I am new to this site. My husband died of prostate cancer in August 2024. I don’t know if I belong here, but I came to see if doctors are doing PSA tests regularly or if people had to insist that their doctor do it. My husband was first diagnosed in 2013 and his PSA at that time was 64. He went to see his primary care doctor because he was having symptoms that he did not relate to prostate cancer, but to getting older. He was 62 at that time. His cancer metastasized in 2020. Unfortunately neither my husband nor myself had thought to ever request a PSA test. But we did find out from someone else who had been seeing the same doctor and had requested a PSA test, that he was told that he doesn’t believe in doing them unless there’s a reason to. That person accepted that answer at the time, even though he wasn’t happy with it. Shortly, after that, he had a blood test done because he was applying for life insurance. That included a PSA test which led to this person being diagnosed with prostate cancer. His cancer was not as advanced as my husband‘s. They were both diagnosed within months of each other. That person did have his prostate removed and went through radiation treatment and has been going through some other treatments, such as the hormone shots, and continues to be monitored by an oncologist, but has had a much different life since diagnosis than my husband did, which I believe is because the cancer wasn’t as advanced when it was caught. I would like to say that I’m sorry to all of you who are going through this and I wish you well. It’s been hard enough losing my husband, but knowing that he probably would still be here if his doctor had only been doing PSA checks when he came in for his routine check ups is so hard to live with. I 100% blame that doctor for the fact that my husband is not here now. I don’t believe I will ever get over that. All I can do is try to spread the word that it is very important to be checked regularly to know what your PSA is, and if your doctor won’t do it, find one who will. Again, good luck to all of you.