Health & Wellness Health checks

PSA is just a blood test for a Prostate Specific Antigen. All that is needed is some of your blood to be drawn. So it's not 100% accurate but it is the least expensive, least invasive test.

Say PSA is high, wouldn't a doctor ordered additional tests, like a biopsy to confirm cancer before ordering chemotherapy or radiating to treat it? Can a biopsy cause complications? Sure, but it's not the whole 6%.

Say a biopsy comes back positive for cancer. What are your treatment options? I cant imagine chemo or radiation treatment for any type of cancer wouldn't cause serious complications. In fact I have seen it first hand. It sucks. Some cancers, like breast cancer lead to surgery to remove it.

Probably CAT or MRI scans to look for spreading to other organs. But guess what, if you have cancer, that's what the treatments are. That and praying, but your already doing that if you are not getting PSA tests annually.

 

I do blood panels at least once a year. Have done Chong Hua, the new one with the Cancer Center and also Hi-Precision, both in Cebu. They all can do everything I've needed, although one test had to get sent to Manila with two day return, but hey, i had an oddball test in northern california that had to get sent to LA. This year I did Silliman, and they accomplished everything I needed, although didn't try the PSA yet for 2018. I had a friend do an MRI at the new Maayo Wellness in Mandaue. He has since found a very competent orthopedist here to read it correctly (Dr Danilo Olegario).

If you've ever been to a hospital in California, you know 80% of the technicians and assistants are Filipino. Our doctors here have all been good, although had one that said, "oh, no prob, just gettin old"(wrong), but you get that in the states too.

 

I had a feeling (judging from your posts over the years) that emphathy was one of your strong character traits.

Also, decrease risk of course; don't smoke, don't drink much, reduce sugar intake (some studies say cancer feeds/grows on sugar), exercise, consume mostly water for fluids NOT soda. Eat mostly fresh meats, not pre-packed proccessed meats too often ( like hot dogs, bacon). Read up on the controversy about food additive aspartame. Green tea a few times a week. All this to help your body fight rogue cells when they form.

 

Already in my notebook '10 Things NOT to DO Before You Die' - number 3 'Not cry on Mr R's shoulder'.

 

Just checked. Silliman can do a PSA blood test, unless the reagent (i think that's the expression) blood tube is "out of stock", which it is currently. lordy lordy, i is tired of that expression <grin>...

 

Perpetual Succour hospital in Cebu does a range of health check packages - detailed in the “Executive” packages on their web site

 

As of last week, they have the right tube, so it's done, get the results tomorrow...