Duration: 4:53
In this video clip, participants discuss the events that led to them being tested for prostate cancer, whether that was regular PSA testing or in response to a GP recommendation.
Acknowledgements
Video 2018 © Copyright Healthily Pty LtdLOCALISED PROSTATE CANCER diagnosis
John - As part of my annual check-up I had been having PSA tests included and they had never reached a number that was beyond the recommended for my age at the time. But it started with a bit of blood present in my urine.
The doctor cleared that up but within a day or two there was a lump developed it turned out to be a cyst nothing to worry about but I insisted that I go and talk to a urologist for whatever reason I don't know, but we did.
Frank - I was being regularly checked by my GP with PSA testing and the numbers started to escalate a little and then a little more and he sent me to a specialist. That guy looked after me for three years.
We did a biopsy, it came back positive and then he said “I think we don't need to do anything right now, your count is alright but we need to keep an eye on it.”
So for the next three years we had fairly regular PSA testing. The numbers grew a little bit then all of a sudden towards the end of that three-year period they started to escalate at a fairly fast rate.
Mick - I had my normal two yearly physical. My GP suggested that we do a PSA test in addition to the DRE which I was only too happy to do. It came back a bit high I was 58 at the time He said it was a little high so he suggested that we treat me for prostatitis so I had antibiotics. At the end of that my PSA had gone up again so he suggested that I go and see a urologist.
Keith - Just not feeling well just a bit off and decided to book myself in for a service as you do and I went to the doctor and the doctor said 'Let's have a prostate exam.' and he had a bit of a feel around and he said 'I don't think, there's a little bit there I don't think there's much there but I tell you what, we'll send you to a specialist.'
So off I go to the specialist. You do what the doctor says and the specialist says 'Look I don't think there's much there but we'll just do a biopsy just to make sure.'
And a few days later I saunter back into the doctor's office and say 'What's the good news doc?' The doc said 'Well the good news is, the good news is you came in because if you'd waited three years I'd be giving you a few weeks to live.' and that was a bit of a shock to the system wasn't it Miss?
Margot - You don't hear much after the word 'cancer' so that was, I think I burst into tears and that was all I heard.
John - He said 'I think we need to give you a biopsy to establish a bench mark.' Now I'd gone in just for a lump that had been confirmed by the GP to be a cyst, the urologist confirmed it was a cyst, it was going nowhere and nothing was going to be done to the point where I'm having a biopsy and unfortunately the biopsy came back really nasty.
It showed I had a, an aggressive prostate cancer. 12 out of 16 cores were high grade cancer so...
Douglas - I'm one of the lucky 5% of 5% I think it was where the PSA test is the only thing that caught it. So there were no symptoms at all. Did a biopsy and there was nothing there so we just watched and waited.
Then last year in June round about then the PSA was continuously rolling up through that period so OK it's time for another biopsy and then we did find something.
In that three years it had pretty much taken over half of the prostate.
John - Well prostate cancer came into our picture when I was 49 and diagnosed with prostate cancer and from there it's just gone on with..
We had a GP that was really, really good. He was really understanding.
He believed in the PSA testing I was picked up very early because he believed in the PSA testing.
Mick - Probably six months after that initial concern I went and saw a urologist. He did the same tests, came to the same conclusion, that there was a chance I had prostate cancer. He did biopsys, not very comfortable, he took 16 of them and four of them came back definitely for prostate cancer. So we had to do something.
John - As part of my annual check-up I had been having PSA tests included and they had never reached a number that was beyond the recommended for my age at the time. But it started with a bit of blood present in my urine.
The doctor cleared that up but within a day or two there was a lump developed it turned out to be a cyst nothing to worry about but I insisted that I go and talk to a urologist for whatever reason I don't know, but we did.
Frank - I was being regularly checked by my GP with PSA testing and the numbers started to escalate a little and then a little more and he sent me to a specialist. That guy looked after me for three years.
We did a biopsy, it came back positive and then he said “I think we don't need to do anything right now, your count is alright but we need to keep an eye on it.”
So for the next three years we had fairly regular PSA testing. The numbers grew a little bit then all of a sudden towards the end of that three-year period they started to escalate at a fairly fast rate.
Mick - I had my normal two yearly physical. My GP suggested that we do a PSA test in addition to the DRE which I was only too happy to do. It came back a bit high I was 58 at the time He said it was a little high so he suggested that we treat me for prostatitis so I had antibiotics. At the end of that my PSA had gone up again so he suggested that I go and see a urologist.
Keith - Just not feeling well just a bit off and decided to book myself in for a service as you do and I went to the doctor and the doctor said 'Let's have a prostate exam.' and he had a bit of a feel around and he said 'I don't think, there's a little bit there I don't think there's much there but I tell you what, we'll send you to a specialist.'
So off I go to the specialist. You do what the doctor says and the specialist says 'Look I don't think there's much there but we'll just do a biopsy just to make sure.'
And a few days later I saunter back into the doctor's office and say 'What's the good news doc?' The doc said 'Well the good news is, the good news is you came in because if you'd waited three years I'd be giving you a few weeks to live.' and that was a bit of a shock to the system wasn't it Miss?
Margot - You don't hear much after the word 'cancer' so that was, I think I burst into tears and that was all I heard.
John - He said 'I think we need to give you a biopsy to establish a bench mark.' Now I'd gone in just for a lump that had been confirmed by the GP to be a cyst, the urologist confirmed it was a cyst, it was going nowhere and nothing was going to be done to the point where I'm having a biopsy and unfortunately the biopsy came back really nasty.
It showed I had a, an aggressive prostate cancer. 12 out of 16 cores were high grade cancer so...
Douglas - I'm one of the lucky 5% of 5% I think it was where the PSA test is the only thing that caught it. So there were no symptoms at all. Did a biopsy and there was nothing there so we just watched and waited.
Then last year in June round about then the PSA was continuously rolling up through that period so OK it's time for another biopsy and then we did find something.
In that three years it had pretty much taken over half of the prostate.
John - Well prostate cancer came into our picture when I was 49 and diagnosed with prostate cancer and from there it's just gone on with..
We had a GP that was really, really good. He was really understanding.
He believed in the PSA testing I was picked up very early because he believed in the PSA testing.
Mick - Probably six months after that initial concern I went and saw a urologist. He did the same tests, came to the same conclusion, that there was a chance I had prostate cancer. He did biopsys, not very comfortable, he took 16 of them and four of them came back definitely for prostate cancer. So we had to do something.