why not check men sooner

I agree with the above post. Beginning at at least 40, there should be a baseline DRE and PSA done. 50 is the suggested age but 40 would clearly catch more of these cancers in a curable stage. The catch? Men have to get over their white-fright and schedule those yearly physicals. Dr.'s can't do their job if we don't get there. They may not do their job if we don't ask in a lot of cases either. Petal, your father is now a messenger for those around him. How great is it that he now promotes others to be health wise? :>)

Women are just as guilty with that initial cardiac work-up. Ask a female of 45 if she's had a cardiac risk baseline done and 9 out of 10 will say NO!

I highly promote that everyone make it a health habit of scheduling a yearly physical as a birthday present to yourselves! No matter what else my family has been to the Dr. for throughout the year, they get a birthday present from me....a sheduled physical. I'm hoping my kids will grow up, move away and continue giving the gift to themselves.

Petal,

Just wanted you to know that I felt the same exact anger!  My dad's last PSA test was 3.2 (five years ago).  His doctor said it was in the normal range.  Flash forward five years and his PSA was 20.  Yes....he should have gotton a yearly test.  I assumed he was.  He thought that his number was fine and could increase that dramatically in a few years. 

I have also had people "poo-poo" prostate cancer.  When I told some old friends they said ....oh don't worry no one dies from it....it is easily cured....HUH!!!

Let yourself get angry and upset!  Get it out!  It took me a few days myself and then I eventually focused on the positive and am thankful that there are treatments to extend his life :)

Good luck to you and your dad

Good for your dad, Petal, for talking about it. That's one of the reasons we're just now starting to tell a few people. The ones who know take a poo-poo - at least your're alive and then assume you're a dribbling old fool. They wonder if you're leaking at that very moment. And then, of course, no one believes that there's a sex life or anything afterward. It's so ingrained in them that not only "thank goodness it's not me," but you poor people - your lives are ruined.

I think we're just in the beginning stages of seeing this disease move to the forefront of attention. Sorry we're on the bandwagon - but might as well do as much as we can to talk about it. We're working on that. (First, I suppose, we should tell my folks - ya think?)

(DaVinci on was 8/2 at age 65)