Prostate Cancer Testing

@sundancerdb78
If you were being treated at Mayo Jacksonville you would not be hearing that over 75 you don't need to check PSA or prostate cancer. I think that is old school in my opinion back when life expectancy was much lower than now nor with the new and excellent treatments for prostate cancer.

I have been having my PSA check since I was in my late 50s. When I started going to Mayo Jacksonville in 2006 I began seeing a PCP. I was 58 and my PCPs were doing PSA test. At that time they were optional do you want to check it? Then several years later my PCP said to me one during one visit that their research was showing more and more diagnoses of prostate cancers stage 4. He said they correlated the sharp rise in stage 4 to the non urgent and recommended testing for PSA. They (Mayo Jacksonville) changed that to back to testing PSA as the norm especially the rising of numbers over time.

I was being tested every 3 months when I was 73 as had rising numbers. My PSA was still at normal levels but had risen every PSA test done. My PCP referred me to urolgist who did biopsies and I was diagnosed with prostate cancer at age 76. Mayo Jacksonville doctors do not mirror the doctors you are gettng your information and I am glad they don't.

The lifespan of men and women has gone way up and most of that comes from new testing and new treatment for diseases. The longer life span does have some down turn as you can see much more Alzshmier (spell) diagnosis as we are living much longer. That disease is associated with later years of life.

My second prostate biopsy was done at age 79 which showed cancer was 7 on the Gleason scale resulting in radiation treatment. I don't think test was done because of financial reasons but for concern for me the patient.

@sundancerdb78
If you were being treated at Mayo Jacksonville you would not be hearing that over 75 you don't need to check PSA or prostate cancer. I think that is old school in my opinion back when life expectancy was much lower than now nor with the new and excellent treatments for prostate cancer.

I have been having my PSA check since I was in my late 50s. When I started going to Mayo Jacksonville in 2006 I began seeing a PCP. I was 58 and my PCPs were doing PSA test. At that time they were optional do you want to check it? Then several years later my PCP said to me one during one visit that their research was showing more and more diagnoses of prostate cancers stage 4. He said they correlated the sharp rise in stage 4 to the non urgent and recommended testing for PSA. They (Mayo Jacksonville) changed that to back to testing PSA as the norm especially the rising of numbers over time.

I was being tested every 3 months when I was 73 as had rising numbers. My PSA was still at normal levels but had risen every PSA test done. My PCP referred me to urolgist who did biopsies and I was diagnosed with prostate cancer at age 76. Mayo Jacksonville doctors do not mirror the doctors you are gettng your information and I am glad they don't.

The lifespan of men and women has gone way up and most of that comes from new testing and new treatment for diseases. The longer life span does have some down turn as you can see much more Alzshmier (spell) diagnosis as we are living much longer. That disease is associated with later years of life.

We are our advocates!
All the medical information says "it is unscary for those over 75!
Sundance

It's an open debate right now. The problem is that 10–20 years ago, when life expectancy was shorter, diagnostic tools were weaker, and treatments were more limited, doctors were overtreating prostate cancer in older men "just to be safe." Then there was a pushback, assuming 75 year olds were going to die very soon anyway, so why waste time checking for or treating prostate cancer? 😕

These days, there are much better tools available (including active surveillance for very-low and sometimes even low-grade cancer), so the medical community no longer needs to take a "see-no-evil" eyes-closed approach to PSA over the age of 75, but it takes a long time for new practices to spread to smaller hospitals and individual practitioners, much less public websites.

JC, you brought up a Great Point about Life Expectancy! A good friend of mine has been fighting cancer for years, lives in Ocala, that clinic has kept him alive!
My problem is I live a couple thousands of miles away in the Four Corners in New Mexico! We have one of the biggest shortages of doctors in the country!
The ones that are here are BAD!
The Scottsdale Mayo will only take referrals!
Luckily my PSA is Good!
But I do have other medical issues that no one here can ID. Either Lyme, Fibromyalgia or CIPD.
Good Luck!
Sundance