Movember Mo Fun

Hi all,

I have a question and I'm hoping someone one in this group has the
answer.

Here's the story.

Ten years ago my father died of pancreatic cancer at a young age. The
doctors gave him six months to live and he died almost exactly six
months later to the day.

This was a real wake up call for me and since then I've been having
yearly checkups as a precaution. The physicals include the usually
plus blood and some times a scan or endoscope (as I have esophagitis
which could be a precursor to pancreatic cancer) and often a prostrate
examination (the finger version).

On my last visit to my Doctor he asked me is I really wanted to know
if I had prostrate cancer. He said that there really wasn't a cure for
the cancer and no evidence that any procedures actually extended life
expectancy. He suggested that its probably better not to know.

Since then I've been doing some research and joined a movember team to
promote Mens Health in particular early detection of prostrate cancer.
However I still have some nagging doubt because of my doctors
comments. Should I/we be promoting early detection of prostrate
cancer?

Posts I've read in this group really make me wonder about the quality
of life following some cancer treatments. Is it really better to
know?

SiMo

P.S I hope I haven't offended anyone by these questions, I do realize
the majority have been proactive in regard to their cancer and because
of this their life path has changed considerable.

P.P.S Mens Health is a big issue and the TLP07 team and myself are
having heaps of fun promoting awareness of Mens Health issues by
Growing Mo for Movember (the month formerly known as November). So
far we have rasie over $400 in our team and had heaps of fun doing it.
Have a look at our blog http://mofeud.blogspot.com we're making videos
every day and fighting over who has the sexiest Mo.

But we need your help our competitor team Nosebeard has just passed
our total so we need more sponsorship to whoop their hairy nose. To
sponsor my Mo please go to http://www.movember.com/au/donate, enter my
registration number which is 68691 and your credit card details.

SiMo wrote:

> I have a question and I'm hoping someone one in this group has the
> answer.
>
> Here's the story.
>
> Ten years ago my father died of pancreatic cancer at a young age. The
> doctors gave him six months to live and he died almost exactly six
> months later to the day.
>
> This was a real wake up call for me and since then I've been having
> yearly checkups as a precaution. The physicals include the usually
> plus blood and some times a scan or endoscope (as I have esophagitis
> which could be a precursor to pancreatic cancer) and often a prostrate
> examination (the finger version).
>
> On my last visit to my Doctor he asked me is I really wanted to know
> if I had prostrate cancer. He said that there really wasn't a cure for
> the cancer and no evidence that any procedures actually extended life
> expectancy. He suggested that its probably better not to know.
>
> Since then I've been doing some research and joined a movember team to
> promote Mens Health in particular early detection of prostrate cancer.
> However I still have some nagging doubt because of my doctors
> comments. Should I/we be promoting early detection of prostrate
> cancer?
>
> Posts I've read in this group really make me wonder about the quality
> of life following some cancer treatments. Is it really better to
> know?
>
> SiMo

What's your age SiMo? And how old was your father? Any other pancreatic
cancer in your immediate or extended family? I'll look for an article I
posted a while back, to see if it can be hereditary. Will let you know.
Both cancers are curable if diagnosed early enough.
Unfortunately, pancreatic cancer can be "silent" (ie the symptoms blamed
on other things, like abdominal pain radiating to the back, digestive
problems), until there's jaundice and/or severe unintentional weight loss.

Many cancers are curable if diagnosed early enough (with surgery, combined
with radiotherapy).
Many skin cancers are curable.
Steph would have to make a statement about Leukemias and lymphomas.
J

"On my last visit to my Doctor he asked me is I really wanted to know
if I had prostrate cancer. He said that there really wasn't a cure for
the cancer and no evidence that any procedures actually extended life
expectancy. He suggested that its probably better not to know."

Hi SiMo,

The above is the most stupid advice I have heard from a doctor in a long
time. I would change physicians if I were you : immediately. If he suspects
you have prostrate cancer, in my opinion, he is legally liable for
malpractice for not advising you so, or not advising you what specific tests
and other diagnostic procedures you should pursue.

"joined a movember team to promote Mens Health in particular early detection
of prostrate cancer. However I still have some nagging doubt because of my
doctors comments. Should I/we be promoting early detection of prostrate
cancer?"

I have never heard of a "movember" team. You might want to explain what that
is ?

"P.P.S Mens Health is a big issue and the TLP07 team and myself are
having heaps of fun promoting awareness of Mens Health ..."

You claim to be promoting awarenes of Mens Health but you, yourself, don't
want to know whether or not you are at risk for prostrate cancer, and are
not sure if you "should be" promoting early detection of prostrate cancer.
Uhhhh ... consistency ? Time for you to do some research and some thinking
about what you really believe and what your values are ?

"... issues by Growing Mo for Movember (the month formerly known as
November). So
far we have rasie over $400 in our team and had heaps of fun doing it.
Have a look at our blog http://mofeud.blogspot.com we're making videos
every day and fighting over who has the sexiest Mo.

But we need your help our competitor team Nosebeard has just passed
our total so we need more sponsorship to whoop their hairy nose. To
sponsor my Mo please go to http://www.movember.com/au/donate, enter my
registration number which is 68691 and your credit card details."

No idea what a TLP07 team is or any of the other things you mention.

Anyone asking for credit card details via any means ... directly ... or
indirectly ... in a public posting to an unmoderated internet forum should
be viewed with absolute skepticism.

Uncle Sally

"Uncle Sally" <uncleSally@auldUncleSally.com> wrote in message
news:JYtYi.79711$1n1.60320@fe10.news.easynews.com. ..
> "On my last visit to my Doctor he asked me is I really wanted to know
> if I had prostrate cancer. He said that there really wasn't a cure for
> the cancer and no evidence that any procedures actually extended life
> expectancy. He suggested that its probably better not to know."
>
> Hi SiMo,
>
> The above is the most stupid advice I have heard from a doctor in a long
> time. I would change physicians if I were you : immediately. If he
> suspects
> you have prostrate cancer, in my opinion, he is legally liable for
> malpractice for not advising you so, or not advising you what specific
> tests
> and other diagnostic procedures you should pursue.
>
>


I wouldn't be too hard on him. The evidence that treatment for early stage
prostate cancer extends life is questionable at best. One treatment option
for PC is "watchful waiting" for good reason

Steph wrote:

> "Uncle Sally" <uncleSally@auldUncleSally.com> wrote in message
> > "On my last visit to my Doctor he asked me is I really wanted to know
> > if I had prostrate cancer. He said that there really wasn't a cure for
> > the cancer and no evidence that any procedures actually extended life
> > expectancy. He suggested that its probably better not to know."
> >
> > Hi SiMo,
> >
> > The above is the most stupid advice I have heard from a doctor in a long
> > time. I would change physicians if I were you : immediately. If he
> > suspects
> > you have prostrate cancer, in my opinion, he is legally liable for
> > malpractice for not advising you so, or not advising you what specific
> > tests
> > and other diagnostic procedures you should pursue.
> >
> >
>
> I wouldn't be too hard on him. The evidence that treatment for early stage
> prostate cancer extends life is questionable at best. One treatment option
> for PC is "watchful waiting" for good reason

In older people with low gleason?
Younger, higher gleason, treat. (is my thinking).

He got the exact opposite advice on the prostate cancer newsgroup.
They are anti-WW on the prostate cancer newsgroup.
Recently "crucified" someone (new) and accused him of being a troll who
introduced himself as a WW-er.
I can't get through to them.
After treatment, if their PSAs jump from (example) .015 ro .030 to 0.60,. they
assume treatment failure and go on hormones and/or RT or IMRT.
J

On Thu, 08 Nov 2007 02:35:56 GMT, "Steph" <steph@vancouvers.island>
wrote:

>
>"Uncle Sally" <uncleSally@auldUncleSally.com> wrote in message
>news:JYtYi.79711$1n1.60320@fe10.news.easynews.com ...
>> "On my last visit to my Doctor he asked me is I really wanted to know
>> if I had prostrate cancer. He said that there really wasn't a cure for
>> the cancer and no evidence that any procedures actually extended life
>> expectancy. He suggested that its probably better not to know."
>>
>> Hi SiMo,
>>
>> The above is the most stupid advice I have heard from a doctor in a long
>> time. I would change physicians if I were you : immediately. If he
>> suspects
>> you have prostrate cancer, in my opinion, he is legally liable for
>> malpractice for not advising you so, or not advising you what specific
>> tests
>> and other diagnostic procedures you should pursue.
>>
>>
>
>
>I wouldn't be too hard on him. The evidence that treatment for early stage
>prostate cancer extends life is questionable at best. One treatment option
>for PC is "watchful waiting" for good reason
>

Had a similar experience with my PCP. He asked if I wanted to do the
PSA test and I was surprised by the question. His response was that
many men have prostate cancer, but relatively few of those die of the
disease.

He also stated that if the cancer was found, we'd probably want to do
something about it and, in many cases, the treatment was worse than
the disease.

My father-in-law died of heart failure at the age of 88. More than 25
years AFTER he was diagnosed with prostate cancer and decided not to
treat it.

"J" <nswex@nalid;non> wrote in message
news:4732F0B3.B114770C@execulink.com...
> Steph wrote:
>
>> "Uncle Sally" <uncleSally@auldUncleSally.com> wrote in message
>> > "On my last visit to my Doctor he asked me is I really wanted to know
>> > if I had prostrate cancer. He said that there really wasn't a cure for
>> > the cancer and no evidence that any procedures actually extended life
>> > expectancy. He suggested that its probably better not to know."
>> >
>> > Hi SiMo,
>> >
>> > The above is the most stupid advice I have heard from a doctor in a
>> > long
>> > time. I would change physicians if I were you : immediately. If he
>> > suspects
>> > you have prostrate cancer, in my opinion, he is legally liable for
>> > malpractice for not advising you so, or not advising you what specific
>> > tests
>> > and other diagnostic procedures you should pursue.
>> >
>> >
>>
>> I wouldn't be too hard on him. The evidence that treatment for early
>> stage
>> prostate cancer extends life is questionable at best. One treatment
>> option
>> for PC is "watchful waiting" for good reason
>
> In older people with low gleason?
> Younger, higher gleason, treat. (is my thinking).

That's the paradigm. There is no doubt that higher Gleason has a worse
prognosis, but treatment may not inpact that. And I've never bouht the
"younger" argument..younger patients have to live with the side-effects of
treatment longer. In fact being "young" for some other cancers, is often a
relative contraindication to RT

>
> He got the exact opposite advice on the prostate cancer newsgroup.
> They are anti-WW on the prostate cancer newsgroup.
> Recently "crucified" someone (new) and accused him of being a troll who
> introduced himself as a WW-er.
> I can't get through to them.
> After treatment, if their PSAs jump from (example) .015 ro .030 to 0.60,.
> they
> assume treatment failure and go on hormones and/or RT or IMRT.
> J
>

Hardly an objective group of enthusiasts

J spake thus :

"In older people with low gleason ? Younger, higher gleason, treat. (is my
thinking)."

To which Steph replieth :

"That's the paradigm. There is no doubt that higher Gleason has a worse
prognosis, but treatment may not inpact that."

I was exposed to very high dosages of the American comedian Jackie Gleason's
early TV work, as in the classic series, "The Honeymooners," beginning
around age 12. But these were tiny oval tee-vee sets in black and white
only. But I did watch them with my face real close to the set.

Now I am "watching and waiting" with a big LCD tee-vee.

If I had to choose between not knowing the results of a colonoscopy or a
prostate exam for Christmas, which would you suggest ? I kind of like the
sound of "A Journey to the Center of Uranus" so maybe that's the way I'll go
because it's more like a movie.

best, Uncle Sally

"Do I contradict myself ? I am large, I contain multitudes"
Walt Whitman, Leaves of Grass

"Uncle Sally" <uncleSally@auldUncleSally.com> wrote in message
news:n0MYi.445926$vo5.96764@fe04.news.easynews.com ...
>>
> If I had to choose between not knowing the results of a colonoscopy or a
> prostate exam for Christmas, which would you suggest ? I kind of like the
> sound of "A Journey to the Center of Uranus" so maybe that's the way I'll
> go
> because it's more like a movie.
>


If I was feeling healthy, with no symptoms, I'd go for not knowing
both...........