# PSA Prostate Cancer Test is Hoax



## SeaBreeze (Aug 27, 2013)

Some information about the inconsistencies and possible harm that can come from PSA testing and resulting treatments.  Although many men may develop prostate cancer as they age, they will die with it, not from it.  Very few actually die from the cancer itself.



> PSA screening disaster:
> 
> The standard PSA (prostate specific antigen) test was approved by the FDA in 1994, and each year millions of men are screened via a blood test for the PSA antigen, which is manufactured exclusively by the prostate gland.
> 
> ...


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## Murphy (Aug 27, 2013)

Ive never felt convinced by the annual blood test alone so I have a digital examination as well every other year


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## dbeyat45 (Aug 28, 2013)

Statistically, I may not be here had my GP not taken notice of the rate of acceleration in my PSA readings.  A biopsy and reference to the Gleason scale confirmed high grade, aggressive cancer.


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## Jambi (Aug 29, 2013)

Murphy said:


> Ive never felt convinced by the annual blood test alone so I have a digital examination as well every other year




Hopefully your doctor is Asian, female, or both!

I think I recently read somewhere that saw palmetto can affect the PSA reading.


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## SifuPhil (Aug 29, 2013)

Did they make a mathematical error or am I reading it wrong?



> Although prostate cancer cases increase with age, still, only about 3% of men actually die from it.​



​


> The American Cancer Society states that in 2013, approximately 238,590  new cases of prostate cancer will be diagnosed and estimates that about  29,720 men will die from it.​




29,720/238,590= *12.5%*, not 3% ... 

???
​


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## Jambi (Aug 29, 2013)

Depends on who's statistics you believe.


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## dbeyat45 (Aug 29, 2013)

> Although prostate cancer cases increase with age, still, only about 3% of men actually die from it.


Very reassuring ..... provided you aren't one of the three percent.


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## SeaBreeze (Aug 29, 2013)

SifuPhil said:


> Did they make a mathematical error or am I reading it wrong?
> 
> 
> [/COLOR][/LEFT]
> ...



Maybe 3% "actually" die from it, and the 12.5% is the "estimate" that "about" that many will die.  Actually anything from the American Cancer Society I take with a grain of salt, as their numbers are likely skewed and shown to be higher for various reasons...like scare tactics, as they have their own agenda.  Anything that starts with 'American', I find suspicious.


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## Jambi (Aug 30, 2013)

SeaBreeze said:


> .  Anything that starts with 'American', I find suspicious.




Yep, too much of a 'jump on the bandwagon' ring to it.


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## SeaBreeze (Aug 30, 2013)

Jambi said:


> Yep, too much of a 'jump on the bandwagon' ring to it.



Same as Smart, Smart Phone, Smart TV, Smart Meter...I find them all suspicious.


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## Jambi (Sep 6, 2013)

SeaBreeze said:


> Same as Smart, Smart Phone, Smart TV, Smart Meter...I find them all suspicious.



Add smart bombs to the list.


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## Tom Young (Sep 9, 2013)

I believe that many times, people who live in the outside world (as opposed to senior communities) don't get a true picture of the number of problems that seniors have.   In our Florida community of 350 homes, where, over the past 24 years we have become acquainted with almost all of the residents... we get to see a lot more of the frailties of seniors. 
Almost everyone "doctors"... and almost everyone has some kind of physical problem, to one degree or another.  Surprisingly, in this atmosphere, wheter publically or privately, almost everyone puts aside the vanity of "I'm healthy"... to accept that stuff happens... and it doesn't always happen overnight, as in an accident.  Fortunately most of these residents have medicare or health insurance, and with the acknowledgement of so many people with health issues, there is no longer that mantra of "I won't go to the doctor unless I'm dying".  If it's "broke" they want it "fixed".

As to the current actions of trying to minimize excesses of testing or prescribing, for the most part, our people are still inclined to be safe rather than sorry.  Hopefully the current and rapid influx of low cost digital testing will offset some of the most expensive tests, but at this point, I for one, may not do my part in reducing costs, by foregoing tests that might help me stay alive a while longer. 

My opinion only.


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