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Trans-perineal Biopsies: A Safer and More Accurate Approach to Diagnosing Prostate Cancer

Consultants' blog November 22nd, 2023

By Mr Alan Doherty, Clinical Director Birmingham Prostate Clinic Prostate cancer is one of the most prevalent cancers affecting men worldwide. Early and accurate diagnosis is crucial for effective treatment and better patient outcomes. Traditionally, transrectal biopsies have been the standard for diagnosing prostate cancer. However, advancements in medical technology have paved the way for […]

Is HIFU for Prostate Cancer worth the hype?

Consultants' blog June 29th, 2023

‘Yes it is!’ says Mr Alan Doherty, consultant Urologist at the Birmingham Prostate Clinic. ‘But it has to be done properly with precision diagnostics and good patient counselling to explain the advantages and disadvantages of the treatment.’ High-Intensity Focused Ultrasound (HIFU) is a non-invasive treatment for prostate cancer that uses focused ultrasound energy to selectively […]

Lee Cookson, a second opinion on his raised PSA levels resulting in a prostatectomy

Patient viewpoints July 29th, 2022

Lee Cookson, 50 wanted a second opinion on his raised PSA levels, with his research leading him to Mr Alan Doherty. Following a prostatectomy Lee wants to encourage men to seek medical advice if they’re experiencing symptoms as an early diagnosis can lead to more treatment options and better outcomes. As a forensic engineer by […]

The ever-changing horizon of prostate cancer assessment: charting a personalised course.

Articles, Consultants' blog August 10th, 2020

By Alan Doherty, consultant urologist, BPC In prostate cancer, the biggest step changes in recent years have been in the way we assess disease. At the Birmingham Prostate Clinic, we were early adopters of what is now widely accepted as best practice: MRI before biopsy to decide whether a biopsy is required and as a […]

Is it time to consider PSMA PET scans in first line prostate cancer diagnostics?

Articles, Consultants' blog July 10th, 2020

By Alan Doherty, Consultant Urologist, the Birmingham Prostate Clinic The PSMA PET scan is now very widely accepted as a game changer in the management of recurring prostate cancer. At the Birmingham Prostate Clinic, we had our first experience of this new technology six years ago, when some of our patients chose to travel to […]

Prostate cancer in a Covid world

Articles, Consultants' blog June 5th, 2020

By Alan Doherty, consultant urologist, the Birmingham Prostate Clinic As Covid-19 changes our lives in every conceivable way, inevitably, in the field of prostate cancer, we are working through significant change. We are becoming a little more adept with the technicalities of zoom and accustomed to consulting without being able to physically see and examine […]

What is it like to have a video consultation?

Articles, Consultants' blog March 31st, 2020

By Maya Harris, consultant urologist, the Birmingham Prostate Clinic As a nation, we are all bracing ourselves during the current lockdown due to COVID-19 emergency. In this difficult time, every trip to outside is a risky business, especially for those aged 70 and above people who have underlying conditions. However, life does not stop, and […]

The PSA is not a ‘bad’ test: it is a good test, properly used.

Consultants' blog, News March 19th, 2020

By Alan Doherty, consultant urologist, the Birmingham Prostate Clinic Something I consistently hear from both patients and GPs is the notion that the PSA test is a ‘bad’ test. I understand the basis of this: the measurement of the Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA) within the blood and a higher than expected level of PSA is […]

Key news from the American Society of Therapeutic Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) Meeting 2019

News October 25th, 2019

What are the latest advances in radiotherapy? Consultant Clinical Oncologist Dan Ford assesses key news from the American Society of Therapeutic Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) Meeting 2019. What was the major talking point? The recent meeting of ASTRO in Chicago acknowledged and showcased the recent advances in the field of radiotherapy and other areas of disease […]

Prostate cancer at 55: A patient’s experience of nerve-sparing prostatectomy

Patient viewpoints October 11th, 2019

Why having high-quality nerve-sparing surgery is so important. A patient describes his experience. “I have a Well Man check every year through my employment. I’ve gone along to assessments routinely for the past five years and at my most recent check, everything seemed fine, as usual. But the next day, I got a phone call […]