Prostate Cancer Deaths Overtake Those From Breast Cancer

[mikey4444]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-42890405

"The number of men dying from prostate cancer has overtaken female deaths from breast cancer for the first time in the UK, figures show"

So, is it now time for the spending on this pernicious male cancer to be increased ?

[dannyk13]

Mikey, I don't think throwing money at the problem will solve it.Men are notoriously reluctant to seek advice about prostate problems,so quite often when they, eventually, do so the cancer is at a late stage.

[NoMercy]

I'm not surprised that this cancer is on the rise. Prostate Ca is largely a hormone driven cancer and with synthetic hormones being prescribed like candy by our GPs and finding their way into our water supply, the problem is only set to get worse.

Prostate cancer is often asymptomatic and tends to spread to the bones, liver and lungs. However it is invariably slow-growing and very treatable if caught early.

[Peter Pedant]

well yeah if you fell spending money on something will inevitably cure it

Nixon in 1973 looked at twenty incredible things doctors had done and found NONE were described as a result of being looked for.

good televisual presentation on the beeb this morning - well picked. American intellectual from Christie and a diamond geezer wiv early onset ca saying - "ya get yer fing out and flop it on ...." - as a well rehearsed sketch duo

PSA not that good a test
and some evidence that low grade initial ca - you dont get a benefit from any treatment
( excuse me - what did you just say ? - survival from early grade 2 is the same wiv and wivart treatment| )

[emmie]

men need to check themselves, that is part of the problem, because many don't.

[mikey4444]

The experts seem to think differently :::::::

"Prostate Cancer UK says advances in the diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer are paying off, and increased funding could benefit prostate cancer"

I agree that men need to do more to help themselves. I have an annual PSA test, but that is elected, by me.

How many women would now be dead, if it wasn't for the pro-active campaign for breast cancer detection ?

I see the breast-screening vans out and about all the time, but have never seen any equivalent for male cancers, like testicular or prostrate.

If we saw a concerted effort to call in every male over a certain age, to see their GPs, then we would see an increase in detection rates.

So, yes, more money would help.

[mikey4444]

Emmie....checking themselves can be very effective for Testicular Cancer, but its not really possible for Prostate Cancers.

An increase in health spending in this area would be effective, as it has been shown to be effective for treating women's cancers. Common sense would seem to show that.

[Garaman]

As I understand it, the problem is quite different to other cancers. That is because all men would get it if they lived long enough and many do have it when they die but never knew. The dilemma is whether to test everyone and tell people they have prostate cancer when most would have lived happily not knowing. It isn’t just about the money spent on unnecessary treatment, but the change in quality of life for the person having treatment. Before they start to test everyone, they need to have a reliable way of determining who would have been troubled by it.

[mikey4444]

Garaman.....I think I would rather know, and be advised what my options are, rather then be kept in the dark.

But men are traditionally not very good at their own health issues, and its something that all of us need to address.

At a time where deaths from breast cancer are decreasing, but deaths from prostrate cancer is increasing, its abundantly clear that its time we did something.

[NoMercy]

Breast cancer survival rates are improving, Mikey, but incidences are rapidly increasing and diagnoses are being made in much younger women (and men!)

More money should be spent on getting to the root cause of cancer proliferation which, I maintain, is partly if not largely to blame on hormones from HRT and contraceptives entering our water supply.

[Peter Pedant]

er NoMercy you should at least pay lip service to the alternative theory
that phyto estrogen ( estrogens derived from plants ) are also to blame

[douglas9401]

If I could check my own prostate, Emmie, I'd be a much better pianist.

[NoMercy]

PP - phyto oestrogens have been found to have a positive effect by binding to oestrogens and carrying them out of the body hence the cited "anti-cancer" effect of phyto-oestrogen rich foods like linseeds.

[Sqad]

Survival rates for prostate cancer in the UK shows it to be 27th in the European league.....disgusting.

Many, but not all prostate cancers will not need treatment as the patient may die with the cancer and not because of it.

How do we tell which is aggressive and needing treatment and those cancers that do not?

PSA (blood test) is inaccurate for diagnosis.
Biopsies are often taken from the wrong place.

It's a shambles.

I would never have treatment for a diagnosed prostate cancer without first having an MRI scan to be sure the right bit is biopsied.
I am not over enthused over the association of diet and prostate cancer....just a personal opinion.

In the UK, cancers are not treated aggressively enough .....in my opinion.

So.......it needs a shake up eh!

[dannyk13]

Sqad,
//Biopsies are often taken from the wrong place//
Are they not taken from the prostate?Incidentally I had 12 'snips' taken from mine.

[mikey4444]

Morning Sqad !

Its a troubling area of our national health, and I was trying to raise the issue of the unfair treatment of this entirely male cancer, compared to women's cancers.

[Sqad]

danny.......yes, biopsies are taken from the prostate, but not necessarily from the cancer area.

" The right notes but not necessarily in the right order " Eric Morecombe.

Biopsies are "blind "procedures in the main, unless one has an MRI scan first and not all patients have MRI scans.

[Sqad]

Morning mikey....your point is well taken.......breast cancer seems more......."emotive" than prostate cancer......for some reason.

[emeritus]

I guess Sqad means that without an MRI scan they dont know where the tumour/s are located and could be missed on a random biopsy.
I was diagnosed with Prostate Cancer 2 years ago and the sequence was:
Raised PSA levels - No Symptoms
Manual examination of Prostate
MRI Scan
Biopsy
Advised of results and Treatment Options
Chose Brachytherapy

All of the above were carried out within a couple of months on the NHS and to date the results are very encouraging.

[Bazile]

Mikey
You say you have a yearly PSA test

Do you rely on a low reading that all is
fine ?

PSA test I understand is not an accurate test

[Sqad]

emeritus......EXCELLENT treatment.
Unfortunately not all NHS patients are afforded this regime.
Well done.