# A very brief PSA **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [July 8, 2011, 1:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-very-brief-psa/588303 "2011-07-08T13:23:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2011, 1:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-very-brief-psa/588303/1 "2011-07-08T13:23:15Z")
You do not have to put “Poll:” at the start of your thread title when creating a poll - the software does that for you. If you do put “Poll:” at the start, your thread title will read “Poll: Poll:”. That is all. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2011, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-very-brief-psa/588303/2 "2011-07-08T15:14:10Z")
PSAs are not all that reliable a way to screen for prostate cancer either. Discuss with your doctor whether such a test is really right for you. Otherwise, I agree with the OP’s statement here. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2011, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-very-brief-psa/588303/3 "2011-07-08T22:02:24Z")
Look - the words “pole” and “prostate” shouldn’t be in the same post. Just sayin’. ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2011, 11:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-very-brief-psa/588303/4 "2011-07-08T23:00:42Z")
P.S.A.! P.S.A.! P.S.A.! Gooooooooooooooooo Dopers! ---
**Author:** ![Crazyhorse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crazyhorse/32/31_2.png) [@Crazyhorse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crazyhorse)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2011, 11:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-very-brief-psa/588303/5 "2011-07-08T23:05:12Z")
I think it’s high time someone gave a tip of the hat to the Pacific Sociological Association, and all the good work they do over there. Kudos! ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2011, 12:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-very-brief-psa/588303/6 "2011-07-09T00:34:59Z")
But what if it’s a poll _about_ polls? ---
**Author:** ![Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mean_mr.mustard/32/3865_2.png) [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mean_Mr.Mustard)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2011, 1:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-very-brief-psa/588303/7 "2011-07-09T01:22:59Z")
> [@Munch](#): > > You do not have to put “Poll:” at the start of your thread title when creating a poll - the software does that for you. > > If you do put “Poll:” at the start, your thread title will read “Poll: Poll:”. > > That is all. You do not have to put “That is all” at the end of your post when ending a post - the fact that that is all does that for you. If you do put “That is all” at the end, your post will read “That is all”, and that will be all. mmm (adding your initials at the end of your post is always appropriate, however.) 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2011, 1:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-very-brief-psa/588303/8 "2011-07-09T01:27:08Z")
> [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](#): > > You do not have to put “That is all” at the end of your post when ending a post - the fact that that is all does that for you. > > If you do put “That is all” at the end, your post will read “That is all”, and that will be all. > mmm > (adding your initials at the end of your post is always appropriate, however.) 🙂 Huh. And I always thought you were just purring with contentment. ---
**Author:** ![Cheshire\_Human](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/5f8ce5/32.png) [@Cheshire\_Human](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheshire_Human)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2011, 1:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-very-brief-psa/588303/9 "2011-07-09T01:38:26Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > Look - the words “pole” and “prostate” shouldn’t be in the same post. > Just sayin’. Beats hell out of “pole” and “prostrate”. > [@Siam\_Sam](#): > > But what if it’s a poll _about_ polls? Or a poll about _poles_? Or _Poles_? ---
**Author:** ![Lare](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/53a042/32.png) [@Lare](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lare)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2011, 1:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-very-brief-psa/588303/10 "2011-07-09T01:43:15Z")
It’s “prostate.” I’d be lyin’ if I said I didn’t mind the difference. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2011, 1:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-very-brief-psa/588303/11 "2011-07-09T01:53:01Z")
How about a poll on poling Polish prostates while prostrate? ---
**Author:** ![Digital\_is\_the\_new\_Analog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a88e4f/32.png) [@Digital\_is\_the\_new\_Analog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Digital_is_the_new_Analog)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2011, 1:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-very-brief-psa/588303/12 "2011-07-09T01:56:05Z")
> [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](#): > > (adding your initials at the end of your post is always appropriate, however.) 🙂 -D/a ---
**Author:** ![Cheshire\_Human](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/5f8ce5/32.png) [@Cheshire\_Human](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheshire_Human)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2011, 2:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-very-brief-psa/588303/13 "2011-07-09T02:45:07Z")
> [@Lare](#): > > It’s “prostate.” I’d be lyin’ if I said I didn’t mind the difference. Well, there ya go. I was mentioning how the one spelling meant something **vastly** different (and would have been vastly different still, if I had based the bad pun on the “vas defferens” (and spelling is vastly attrocious, according to spell-check, look, another bad pun.). I think, in this case, we should ‘let sleeping dogs lie’, but only if they are not doing that 'in a “biblical sense”, so we don’t wind up with a litter of puppies neither of us wants. Shoot the dog, instead, I say!!! 😃 I first typed that smilie as :ED. Ummm I’m suffering from “Erectile Disfuntion”, here? No, Only “Typing Disfunction”, which can sometimes lead to even worse socially disfunctional results. :D:D:D:( ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2011, 10:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-very-brief-psa/588303/14 "2011-07-09T10:34:33Z")
Say this three times quickly: Paul the pro poles prostrate Poles’ prostates. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2011, 12:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-very-brief-psa/588303/15 "2011-07-09T12:39:10Z")
> [@Siam\_Sam](#): > > Say this three times quickly: > > Paul the pro poles prostrate Poles’ prostates. I can’t do it once. ---
**Author:** ![Digital\_is\_the\_new\_Analog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a88e4f/32.png) [@Digital\_is\_the\_new\_Analog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Digital_is_the_new_Analog)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2011, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-very-brief-psa/588303/16 "2011-07-09T14:26:29Z")
> [@Siam\_Sam](#): > > Say this three times quickly: > > Paul the pro poles prostrate Poles’ prostates. > [@Siam\_Sam](#): > > Say this three times quickly: > > Paul the pro poles prostrate Poles’ prostates. > [@Siam\_Sam](#): > > Say this three times quickly: > > Paul the pro poles prostrate Poles’ prostates. That wasn’t too hard.. -D/a ---
**Author:** ![The\_Flying\_Dutchman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/9fc348/32.png) [@The\_Flying\_Dutchman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Flying_Dutchman)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2011, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-very-brief-psa/588303/17 "2011-07-09T14:38:13Z")
> [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](#): > > PSAs are not all that reliable a way to screen for prostate cancer either. Discuss with your doctor whether such a test is really right for you. > > Otherwise, I agree with the OP’s statement here. False positives or negatives ? I haven’t had a digital exam in 15 years. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2011, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-very-brief-psa/588303/18 "2011-07-09T16:46:47Z")
> [@The\_Flying\_Dutchman](#): > > False positives or negatives ? I haven’t had a digital exam in 15 years. Both. But mainly a problem because they’re quite often a true positive for cancers which are really slow-growing and would never bother the patient a bit before they eventually died of something else years or decades later, but since they were picked up on PSA screening, result in invasive surgery, radiation and chemo because they were found in the first place. At present, it’s believed that the way we screen for prostate cancer in the US results in overall reduction of life rather than extension of it. Of course for the individual who has an aggressive prostate cancer caught and cured early it’s wonderful, but it appears they’re quite outnumbered by the folks for whom the cure is worse than the disease. It’s a complex issue without easy screening solutions. ---
**Author:** ![Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mean_mr.mustard/32/3865_2.png) [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mean_Mr.Mustard)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2011, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-very-brief-psa/588303/19 "2011-07-09T18:56:06Z")
> [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](#): > > Both. But mainly a problem because they’re quite often a true positive for cancers which are really slow-growing and would never bother the patient a bit before they eventually died of something else years or decades later, but since they were picked up on PSA screening, result in invasive surgery, radiation and chemo because they were found in the first place. At present, it’s believed that the way we screen for prostate cancer in the US results in overall reduction of life rather than extension of it. Of course for the individual who has an aggressive prostate cancer caught and cured early it’s wonderful, but it appears they’re quite outnumbered by the folks for whom the cure is worse than the disease. > > It’s a complex issue without easy screening solutions. I had a physical exam a few months ago and received my first ever digital exam; the doc said PSAs are not as reliable as once thought. He said that before this recent data, he thought he had done is his last digital exam. mmm