PSA testing in current climate

I took my father-in-law to his doctor’s this week for a blood test, so the answer to your question is yes.

In this area, once we have a blood test form, there are dozens of places to get one done, from chemist’s, to some surgeries, to the drop-in centre and the hospital itself.

Cheers, John.

Pete my partner was due his first PSA six weeks after starting Bicalutamide, first the GP receptionist said they weren't doing any bloods etc but then when he explained what it was and why she went away and asked and they rang to say go in on Thursday for it we got the results back yesterday so maybe give your GP a ring :) 

I had my PSA test this morning at my GP’s and got the results back this evening! I’ve been advised that the consultation with my oncologist will be on the phone.

Chris

I need a test before my 3 monthly routine phone call with my Oncologist due in May. I'm thinking of using Let's Get Checked: https://www.letsgetchecked.com/gb/en/  to avoid going into the surgery. Any thoughts? It's £69 but there's a 25% discount available for the first one. 

When I took my Father-in-law for his blood test about two weeks ago, he did not have the convenience of nipping to the local chemist like me (at an appointed time - 07.30, as soon as they opened), but went to his surgery instead. We waited outside, then were admitted by someone in full PPE, had our temperatures checked, and told to wash our hands before seeing the nurse.

He is still waiting for his result. I asked his GP how many of his patients had caught the plague, bearing in mind a thirteen-year old had contracted it in his catchment area and was big news in the local press. The GP said he had no idea, as he had had no feedback at all.

Which was a bit like when I asked my mate, an Immigration Appeals Tribunal Judge whether he knew when failed asylum seekers whose appeal he had denied were actually deported. “They never tell us”, he said.

Cheers, John.

Edited by member 17 Apr 2020 at 07:46  | Reason: Not specified

In some areas, GP's refuse diagnostic PSA tests to anyone over 70. (This is pre-coronavirus.) The only way they could get one was via a free Lions PSA testing event, but most of those will only go up to age 80. In most cases, 80+ year olds with newly discovered prostate cancer won't die from it even if untreated, but really that should be determined from state of health and expected longevity, not absolute age.

Note that Finasteride halves PSA levels, so if he'd been on that when the PSA test was done, you have to double the result for diagnostic purposes.

Edited by member 18 Apr 2020 at 05:00  | Reason: Not specified

I wonder if John has BPH rather than PCa and might benefit from a Green Laser TURP procedure (overnight stay in hospital) such as a friend of ours aged 70 has just had. He says he’s now ‘pissing like a horse’ and his erections are as good as they were........he just doesn’t say when that was! 😂😂😂

At least if he eventually gets a urology appointment he will have an idea of what his options are, rather than relying on the GP.

Hi LynErye, I feel the same as all my test results since my prostatectomy in September 2018 have been reported as <0.1. If I order this test and it comes back higher I will be forced to go to the surgery. If it's lower, I can hang on for another 3 months.  If I get to September 2020 they will change the frequency to every 6 months.  

Edited by member 19 Apr 2020 at 21:22  | Reason: Not specified

It's strange - I've tried to chase up about the results of my surgery, as it's now almost 7 weeks since the op. This has not been helped by the fact that my hospital has merged trusts (with no pre-warning!) during that time and the new website no longer has the phone numbers for departments. Anyway, I've gotten nowhere; I've not had my results, nor had a follow up consultation, even over the phone.

Meanwhile, I had a call yesterday from someone about my skin cancer appointment, which I had to cancel because of the surgery. For that I have an appointment at a priavte hospital on Tuesday morning. This is with a different hospital, although part of the same trust.

I can therefore only think that it depends on how organised each hospital and department is, which has been my experience in general - the biggest fault with the NHS is that organisation and administration varies immensely from place to place. The skin cancer department (which is highly rated) has been excellent in every way; at the other end of the spectrum is my GP surgery, who have a telephone system that my SCN described as a nightmare and who seems to take a week to process anything sent by a hospital.

Edited by member 25 Apr 2020 at 09:29  | Reason: Not specified

Your GP needs to be registered with it, and it seems not all are (why not?). You get a practise number and your log-in code and you are away! Interesting sometimes to see what the doctor has written about you after every consultation. It seems their spelling and grammar are as bad as their legendary poor handwriting 😂

https://www.patientaccess.com/

Cheers, John.

Dave

Don't rely on your GP ringing you with an adverse result. At 59 I had a PSA of 6.9 but I only found that out three years later by accident. 

Thanks Chris

The Virus seems to have overtaken all NHS services - now they wonder where there "Normal" Paitents have got to....?
It is a mess, a deadly one - I'm just grateful my treatment for Prostate, was last year.

Hi

The following article caught my attention this morning. The article is not about prostate cancer but a few paragraphs in there is references to keyhole and open surgery. 

Looking further into the subject it would seem there may be challenging times ahead with keyhole type surgery. 

BBC News - Coronavirus doctor's diary: 'We aren't diagnosing many cancers now'

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-52446841

Thanks Chris

Edited by member 30 Apr 2020 at 11:17  | Reason: Missing word

I went ahead with the LetsGetChecked PSA test.  The kit arrived but I struggled to get enough blood to fill the tube to the required level. After squeezing my fingers and getting blood all over the table I eventually filled the tube to the marked line. Unfortunately the sample was rejected as being hemolyzed.  Apparently this means that the blood was damaged while it was being drawn.

They sent me a second kit and I prepared by going for a long walk, taking a hot shower and running up and down the stairs 10 times.  I then managed to get enough blood from 4 fingers pricks but with little effort. 

The results came back as Total PSA<0.03 ug/L and Free PSA <0.02 ug/L. This is as good as previous GP PSA results which were all <0.1 ng/mL.  (I think ug/L units are equivalent to ng/mL units) The GPs results didn't specify 'Total' or 'Free' PSA.  

Anyway it seems to be a good result for me which is just as well as my telephone review has just be postponed until 18th June. I will be 2 years post op on 21st September 2020 and hopefully my reviews will move from 3 monthly to 6 monthly. 

I have to keep reminding myself that my PSA in February 2018 was 33.1 ng/mL and I was diagnosed as T3B, M0, N0 with a Gleeson score of 3+4 = 7.  I had 3 months of hormone therapy before a radical prostatecomy.