Imperfect test better than none - survivor

The 67-year-old's experience with prostate cancer began in September 2006 after a routine medical examination.

Mr Hansen, the president of Canberra Prostate Cancer Support Group, had blood tests and was referred to a urologist after two prostate-specific antigen tests found he had a high PSA reading. He then underwent a prostate biopsy.

''I mainly had the test because I was quite convinced I didn't have cancer,'' he said

Mr Hansen said he had no symptoms but the test results confirmed his worst nightmare.

''It was absolutely devastating, particularly if you're not expecting it. I had absolutely no idea whatsoever that there would be any problem and wouldn't have known if I didn't have that test.''

Mr Hansen had a radical prostatectomy, which found he had extensive prostate cancer.

''That was 6½ years ago and I've never had a problem since,'' he said.

''You can do any number of studies but it all comes down to an individual situation.

''I would have far preferred not to have had cancer but the second best was to have cancer and be cured.''

Mr Hansen said his support group, which is affiliated with the Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia, assisted men who had been diagnosed with prostate cancer.

He said it could be confusing for men to decide whether to get tested, but he strongly advocated that they should.

''If an individual man decides to take a PSA test having heard the pros and cons of it, then it's our view that he should go ahead with it,'' he said. ''If you don't have any symptoms at all, then I guess you could easily make the decision not to do it and they're the people we're trying to target, and it's surprising when that does happen, how many people do end up having prostate cancer.''

Mr Hansen said there were problems with PSA tests such as false negatives or positives, but ''it is better than not having a test'' at all.

Mr Hansen said he felt ''reasonably fit and capable of doing just about everything I could do when I was 60''.

''I might have painted a rosy picture because of my own circumstance,'' he said, noting that he had met men who had suffered side effects or complications.

Radical prostatectomy and radiotherapy can be associated with impotence, incontinence and radiation-associated bowel inflammation.

''The best thing would be if you didn't have the cancer and you didn't have the surgery but the second best thing is if you have cancer, have the surgery or radiotherapy and then you don't have cancer after that, and that's better than being dead,'' Mr Hansen said.

A report by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare released in November found prostate cancer was the most commonly diagnosed cancer in Australia.