I've got 16 radiation treatments left, out of 40. My doctor says prognosis very good and probability of recurrence before I die of other causes is low.
My treatment bill is $70,000. Billed to me $9. Medicare and Blue Shield for supplement. May be getting in under the wire.
Welome other analysis and personal experiences.
Ping away.
canCER deaths, sorry
I wish there were a way to opt out so that you wouldn’t have to pay for my care and vice-versa.
Good luck with your treatments.
My dad survived it (along with a LOT of other things). He was finally taken by old age...
My treatment bill is $70,000. Billed to me $9. Medicare and Blue Shield for supplement.
Great news and prayers for your full recovery.
It might cost $70,000 to treat prostate cancer, but it has got to be a lot less to do a screening.
If cancer is found and the person is covered, then I imagine they would have the treatment covered.
How can someone calling himself a libertarian (morphing or otherwise) try to make a case for Medicare? Medicare is a ponzi scheme just like Social Security.
Drink more water.
I use both private and VA services for health care. Had a PSA at the VA last week after they scheduled an appointment and called me to come in. My doctor mentioned this recommendation, but doesn’t agree with it. I guess they haven’t yet clamped down on all conscientious physicians within the VA and other health care provision where the government is invovled.
Honestly, I think helping old white people die is all part of the plan.
My wife went for her yearly “woman” checkup today. The doctors told her that she was no longer eligible for a yearly papsmear. It is an every other year thing now for Medicare. They will not pay for it. My wife paid for it out of her pocket to get the checkup done. The lady cut it to the lowest payment possible by the doctor so that she could get it. The new Obamacare will not pay for these yearly routines now. This way, you get your disease and die so they no longer have to pay for anything for you.
Glad you got in under the wire. My PSA is climbing and I’m 61. I almost want to get my prophylactic robot prostatectomy while I still can. I have Tricare prime but under recent changes I will be kicked to standard. My dad had radiation for his prostate cancer and died of heart disease at 86. Good luck with your treatment, I used to think I was immune but last PSA was over 5 and I’m waiting for a repeat to decide whether biopsy is next.
“doctors turn against patients”??
What does that mean?
Do you think they should be forced to work for free? Slaves?
“Welcome other analysis and personal experiences.”
I’m 57. I did not have cancer, but I did have an enlarged prostate with severe urinary difficulties; urgency, weak stream, etc. The treatment I had was originally developed to treat cancer. I don’t know if it is licensed to treat cancer by the FDA.
I had a single treatment of audio frequency radiation in a doctor’s office. It shrank my prostate about 80%. The way it works is: cancer cells propagate like mad and they don’t always make new veins and arteries, which provide cooling. A cell can survive many, many cells away from a vein or artery because of oxygen diffusion. The air contains 20% oxygen, which about what a cell next to an artery sees. Cells only need a few percent to survive and multiply.
The treatment “antenna” is inserted down the penis’ shaft and it is cooled. A thermometer is inserted in the prostate and the power is turned on. It feels HOT. The cancerous cells aren’t getting the same cooling as the cells next to arteries and veins. They cook. Over time the body absorbs them.
The equipment is very expensive and you can only get this treatment in big cities with significant older populations. All the local doctors were still doing full prostate removal, which was what two doctors said they’d do. Neither offered or mentioned the audio radiation treatment. When I asked they said they didn’t think it would give good results. I drove 300 miles and stayed in St. Pete, Florida for two weeks to have the procedure there.
I could not be happier. I can ride four hours in a car and not even think about the need to void. All other prostate functions, except (ah-hem…) volume, remain the same.
It took about three office visits to do the requisite tests. The procedure itself takes only 20 minutes, is done in the office and the only drugs are oral low-dose pain medications. Recovery takes a week, but I had it done over Christmas and the office was closed so I wore a catheter for two weeks instead of one.
Imagine that screening, say, 10 million men each year costs $450 million annually ($45 each). But treatment for those who actually do contract the disease is projected to cost a quarter billion ($250 million).
It would be a waste of money to continue to pay for the tests.
Now, I do not want to be accused of supporting "Obamacare". Don't even try it. And there is nothing in this article that suggests that you can't pay for the PSA test yourself -- it's cheap, I do it each year. But if we're going to try to control health care costs, this is not the example to use.
At a clinic here in Louisville,Ky they have already dropped cancer patients because medicare has deemed them terminal. This came from a nurse that worked there.
In January I’ll be 5 years post-op for pancreatic cancer and in March it will be my 3 year anniversary for prostate cancer surgery. I have a few other issues as well.(Agent Orange did a pretty good job on me.) If 0bamacare had started 6 years ago I have no doubt I’d be dead now.
According to the most recent data, when including all men with prostate cancer:
The relative 5-year survival rate is nearly 100%
The relative 10-year survival rate is 98%
The 15-year relative survival rate is 91%
My husband was diagnosed with stage 3 prostate cancer last year after a PSA screening at his 50 year old check up.
He had no symptoms, and would have likely died if it had not been caught when it was.
He had robotic prostatectomy last December. So far, his PSA has been undetectable. It was originally 19.