Alf Bentley

Just to second what @mozartfox said, PC diagnosis is a minefield & DRE is a very hit-and-miss tool. I was told that the doc can't physically reach all of the prostate, for a start. After I had a high PSA reading, I was given a DRE and the GP said my prostate seemed slightly firm (multiple potential explanations for this) but completely smooth. He thought there was only about a 25% chance that I had cancer - but the MRI revealed quite a large, aggressive tumour, but fully contained so no bumps... While the MRI often gives a better idea one way or the other - and was pretty clear in my case, due to it being high-grade cancer - that's not always the case. Some MRIs don't give a clear answer - then only a biopsy will do that. PSA readings seem to be a minefield, too. Different doctors set different thresholds for "high" - and a normal PSA level can differ from one bloke to the next (quite apart from there being other potential explanations for high PSA - e.g. benign prostate enlargement). The key seems to be identifying rises in the PSA readings of a particular individual, not necessarily an arbitrary figure - and then getting an MRI...then possibly a biopsy if the MRI is inconclusive.

It was just about confined at the time of the MRI - stage 2, but potential for imminent spread to nearby areas (almost stage 3a). The CT, bone and nuclear scans all suggested no metastasis, but the 6-week review will be the moment of truth for that, as I understand it - PSA will show if any cancer has escaped and lab analysis of the removed body part will show whether there's a "positive surgical margin" - if I'm remembering the term correctly: i.e. whether the cancer was all contained within the prostate - for now.

Went to hospital on Tuesday, swapped my prostate (removed by a surgeon-controlled robot) for a urinary catheter and was discharged barely 24 hours later. The first 48 hours out were a bit tricky at times due to constipation (common side-effect of surgery & general anaesthetic, it seems), but thankfully my world-class talent for defecation is now back. Very little direct soreness from the surgery and feel very well generally, but the catheter causes sporadic soreness. I feel well enough to walk for miles in terms of surgery recovery, but at times the catheter makes it painful to even walk short distances. Thankfully, the catheter is due to be removed in a few days. That will bring the prospect of likely urinary incontinence issues - just have to hope I'm in the majority for whom it is a temporary and/or minor problem, not the minority for whom it's more severe or long-lasting. Then, the moment of truth will be the six-week review to see if they think they've eliminated all the cancer (PSA rating should be near-zero, if so ). The surgeon seemed optimistic that would be the case, meaning no further treatment in the short-term - but thought it pretty likely the cancer would be back within 10 years, due to it being an aggressive one. Just a case of getting regular PSA tests to hopefully catch it before it spreads, if so. It's a bit weird that you can still get prostate cancer without a prostate, but apparently it can return in surrounding areas that are left in place. All the best to all going through this - and any other health trauma.

Must feel good to have a quarter of the ordeal behind you. Another 3 weeks will soon be done! I second your exhortation to "get it checked", but would add to do so even if your body does feel right - I'd had no change in symptoms before being diagnosed, a common problem with prostate cancer if no checks are done and it spreads to other body locations. If you don't mind me asking, is your treatment a "radiotherapy only" pathway? I was only offered surgery or radiotherapy with hormone therapy, though that might've been due to it being an aggressive cancer (Gleason 4+5). I was initially favouring radiotherapy but switched to the surgery pathway after realising it would also imply 2-3 years of hormone therapy. I might have stuck with radiotherapy if it had only required 2-3 months of potential hormone therapy side-effects, but I didn't fancy 2-3 years of potential disruption (even if the disruption is minor for some patients). The future's so bright, we've got to wear shades!

Excellent news. If the Welsh system operates similarly to the English, they might send you for an MRI scan in a few weeks - while not 100% conclusive, the MRI gives a strong indication as to whether the problem is cancer or something else (e.g. benign prostate enlargement). Good luck for whatever comes next.

As you may have seen, that Cancer Research UK link that I posted mentions a slightly different system for Wales: a target of 62 days from urgent suspected cancer referral to treatment. I know that targets aren't necessarily being met (as in my own case), but there's a bit of a difference between 62 days and 18 months! I appreciate you don't want to jump queues, but that's certainly worth challenging via your pre-existing medic or GP. It might be an error - perhaps it wasn't recorded as "urgent" or something? Good luck!

Thanks, you triggered me to listen to this for the first time in decades: Mind you, Trump and Boris aren't "obsessed with order" and don't have "a passion for discipline", more like the opposite. The rest of the song seems pretty relevant, though.

Are you in the UK (as your name suggests) or a UK bod living elsewhere? If you're in the UK, an 18-month wait sounds wrong - and would definitely be worth querying with your GP or the hospital. In the UK, there are waiting time targets - 62 days from urgent referral to start of treatment & 31 days from treatment plan to treatment: https://www.cancerresearchuk.org/about-cancer/worried-about-cancer/cancer-waiting-times#:~:text=no more than 2 months,and the start of treatment Targets aren't always met - and weren't in my case - but 18 months sounds wrong. Mine has been almost 5 months from urgent referral to treatment, which I thought was bad enough - though, to be fair, 1.5 months of that was waiting for an outsourcing company to do a scan to confirm whether there was any metastatic cancer (as of late January, there wasn't, thankfully).

All the best for your treatment. Good to see the positive attitude. I'll be having surgery to remove my prostate in a few days - and glad to be getting on with it (fingers crossed there's no late postponement!). You're right that prostate cancer often runs in families. There's also a known hereditary connection between prostate cancer and maternal breast cancer. I'm not aware of anyone in my family who's had prostate cancer - and I come from a big family - but my Mum had breast cancer (caught early). Not all cases are hereditary, of course - and case numbers seem to be growing for whatever reason. Let us know how it's going, if you feel up to it. We're hopefully doing others a favour, if it encourages them to get PSA blood tests - as prostate cancer is usually curable if caught early, but often has no obvious symptoms, meaning too many cases aren't caught early enough. Solidarity!

After seeing that Trump Gaza video, I'm anticipating Tate being appointed US Secretary for Women's Affairs. I'm sure there'll be an elite position for him in the Trolligarchy, anyway.

I don't know why it's not routine, even for men aged 50+, though I think most GPs will do a PSA blood test if you ask (maybe trickier under 50). It doesn't even have to be a separate blood test. I was offered a blood test for the usual (liver function, kidney function, cholesterol etc.) and just asked them to also do the PSA. I suspect part of the reason may be that PSA alone is not conclusive. Indeed, when my PSA came back high, the GP reckoned there was about a 25% chance of cancer v. 75% chance of it being something else, most likely benign prostate enlargement (which is even more common than prostate cancer in older men). PSA reading can be high for other reasons. So, it was essentially a 3-stage process: PSA indicated there might be a problem, MRI scan indicated it probably was cancer (even the scan isn't always clear, though it was my case), then the biopsy confirmed it was an aggressive cancer that needed treatment (before the 3 further scans revealed it hadn't yet spread further).

Perhaps get Trump to present the trophy: "Make UEFA Great Superbly" (MUGS - would look good on a red hat, perhaps with a clapper). I reckon playing the Superbowl in Moscow would be a better idea.

A quick nudge for posters in possession of a prostate, particularly those aged 50+.... - Prostate cancer is now the UK's most commonly diagnosed cancer: 55,000+ per year with 12,000+ deaths - It often has no symptoms until it has spread to other parts of the body. It is then usually incurable, though treatment can help people survive many years. - Yet a simple PSA blood test from a GP, though inconclusive, should indicate whether an MRI scan & other investigations are advisable - If treated before it spreads, even aggressive prostate cancer has about an 80% cure rate & then excellent longevity. Less aggressive prostate cancer often just need to be monitored, not treated. The cyclist Chris Hoy (48) is the obvious example: one of the fittest blokes in the UK, no symptoms until he started getting pains in his collar bone/ribs....incurable secondary prostate cancer with a likely 2-4-year survival prognosis. My case was a bit muddier. I went to my GP 3 years ago due to minor disruption of urination. Tests were negative, so benign prostate enlargement (v. common) was the assumption. Symptoms didn't change over the next 3 years, but I got another PSA test when I moved to a new address/GP......Highish PSA. MRI scan then suggested likely cancer, biopsy said it was aggressive cancer. 3 scans suggest it's not spread beyond the prostate yet. After considering radiotherapy/hormone therapy, I'm now heading for robot-assisted keyhole prostatectomy surgery in mid/late March. Fingers crossed that sorts it and it doesn't spread. Well worth asking your GP to do the PSA blood check annually if you're no longer young, I reckon....

198 for LCFC, I think. I presume that's what the OP is referring to? He surely hits 200 this season unless he gets injured? Probably on Friday v. Brentford. 181 league goals, I think. The only way he manages 200 league goals is if we get relegated and he stays on next season. Sod all chance of him getting 200 PL goals, as he's on about 143.....150 might be achievable? Wikipedia has him at 316 career goals now, but that includes his non-league stints at Stocksbridge Park Steels, Halifax and Fleetwood.

Yes. He'll achieve it on Friday: penalty in the 64th minute, then a scruffy toe-poke rebound from the keeper, 2 inches from the line in the 94th minute.

Wout Faes is the best centre back at LCFC and he's subject to excessive criticism. Yes, he makes gaffes occasionally and switches off or gets caught in the wrong position occasionally. That's why his level is no higher than bottom-end PL. But critics don't factor in his positive qualities - particularly the fact that he's a front-foot centre back, who seeks to anticipate opposing attacks so as to intervene, intercepting the ball or tackling/challenging the attacker. He also has good physicality (unlike Vestergaard or Coady), is decent in the air and quicker than Jannik. Okoli might make a better centre back some day, as he's young and still learning. Vestergaard could only be a PL player in a team that sat deep and faced little pressure, as he'd be comfortable on the ball and his lack of pace and physicality would matter less. I'm sure Coady is a nice, positive bloke with a good attitude but I'm afraid he's just past it - there are reasons why he lost his place at Wolves, didn't play regularly on loan at Everton and couldn't even win back a regular starting place for us in the Championship, after he recovered from injury.

Partly tongue-in-cheek (I haven't a clue whether we'd stay up with prime Shinji in harness, as so many different factors are involved) - but I'm partly serious. I did say "prime Shinji" (i.e. 2015-16 Shinji), so accept your point about his decline thereafter. I just remember that in his prime, despite his footballing limitations, we always seemed to perform better as a team when he was playing. His workhorse commitment seemed to inspire teammates and disrupted opposing defences/midfields. That takes me back to the wider point: a player can have seriously limited football skills, but be highly effective as a team member due to other qualities - and therefore a very good player. If footballing skills are the sole criterion, that doesn't apply, but that's not my definition of a very good player - it's a team game. Shinji - and Lloyd at a lower level - were very good LCFC team players for me. All just fun and personal opinion, anyway....

How do you define "very good" in this context? I'd see it as a synonym for "effective", which makes Bovril's claim particularly problematic. If it's used as a synonym for "skilful", I'd agree with both statements. Dyer: - Good: Pace, work rate - Medium: Erratic shooting/finishing/crossing (both scored & missed plenty in Championship), basic passing, ok dribbling - Bad: Close control ball skills - Overall: Good upper Championship player 2009-14 Okazaki: - Good: Pressing, positional awareness, work rate, team leader by example - Medium: Erratic finishing, basic passing - Bad: Close control, dribbling - Overall: Key man in a peculiar & somewhat effective team 2015-16 Put prime Dyer in the current squad and he might be a useful sub for last 20 mins in PL (less so than in 14-15, as defending & fitness levels have risen). Possibly still a starter in Championship. Put prime Shinji in the current squad and we stay up this season!

This opinion was disputed 3 days ago.....by Richie Wellens. https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/articles/cx2yxvq9zr4o "Leyton Orient manager Richie Wellens has apologised for a "stupid comment" he made about Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou after Saturday's 1-0 defeat by Stockport. Asked in a post-match interview whether injuries had played a part in the loss, Wellens said: "I'm not going to make excuses, I'm not Ange Postecoglou." Tottenham have slipped to 16th in the Premier League amid an injury crisis that has left them without nine first-team players for Sunday's trip to Brentford. Later on Saturday, Wellens withdrew the comments, saying he was "deeply embarrassed"."

At this point, I'd be delighted to hear that we've signed Alison Moyet and that she's coming on for the second half at Goodison (centre back, preferably).

Thanks for posting that, Davie. Yes, I grew up nearby and went to school in Folkestone. I've not lived in Kent for 40 years, but have visited a few times in recent years, as one of my nephews lives in Margate (a similar place, in many ways) and an old friend was living down there until recently. Folkestone always blended sordid and sublime. It also seemed to have good and bad periods. A lot of coastal towns seem similar. It certainly has seen an upturn in recent years - largely because Roger de Haan, the ex-boss of Saga (based in Folkestone), has spent many of his millions on renovation, construction, cultural developments etc. Some of the compliments in that article are a bit OTT, though: "best place in the SE"; "balmy sweeping beaches"; "crystal clear waters"; "a tropical paradise"?!? When I was growing up, it had an odd mix of residents: blue-rinse Tory ladies and crusty retired military bods v. drug addicts, dole wallahs and winos....just like a lot of seaside towns. It also had a lot of jaded, small-c conservative attitudes. It always had a lovely promenade, funicular, a nice little harbour with narrow old streets and a sandy beach nearby. But most of the beaches are pebbles/shingle and most of the town was dull, decrepit and/or jaded. From what I've seen on recent visits, the area surrounding the harbour is much improved and well worth visiting. But there is still a fair bit of poverty and dull, jaded streets away from the harbour. Some of my ex-wife's Hinckley family went there for a short break a couple of years ago - and came back commenting on how "rough" it seemed... It went further downhill after the Channel Tunnel eliminated the ferry trade (though it continues from nearby Dover), but has been on the up since all the development investment in the last decade or two. If I just slagged the place off before, that was unfair. It was always an odd mix - like most seaside towns. I'd never want to live there again, but that's largely because I had a miserable time as a teenager there and no longer have any local connections. I do retain some fondness for the place, though, and I can imagine how someone could have an idyllic day or two there, if the sun was out and they didn't stray too far from the harbour and surrounding streets.

"At the King Power, the mighty King Power, the Wimmer signs tonight.......playing football the Wimmer-way!" Yep, I can see the whole stadium singing this within weeks....

Elsie? She was Roscoe Tanner's Missus, wasn't she? Genes of an elite sportsman, clearly - gerrimin!

Well, he looks quite tall and thin. So, he could make a good draught excluder, if you have a very wide door.