James Derbyshire* is one of the first patients to have the state-of-the-art Cyberknife treatment in Birmingham. The intensive and extremely accurate technology reduces the number of sessions from 37 to just five. Mr Derbyshire, who is 72, describes his experience. “My prostate cancer was diagnosed purely by chance and persistence. It started with some slightly […]
Read more Harry Williams* was one of the first men in the UK to be treated outside of London with the CyberKnife procedure for prostate cancer. Mr Williams, aged 77, outlines his experience, explains why he chose CyberKnife and how he got on with the treatment. “After a quite rewarding career in banking and finance I truly […]
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I frequently see patients who have been diagnosed with prostate cancer, have decided on surgery, but are struggling with the choice of different types of surgery. Increasingly, there can be a choice, especially if patients seek opinions from two or three different urologists (which we certainly support). A common scenario might be: the patient sees […]
Read more Treatment for prostate cancer is one of the most rapidly developing areas in medicine, providing men with a wide and sometimes confusing range of treatment options. While our scientific understanding of the disease is marching forward, the culture of the doctor/patient relationship in the UK is changing more slowly. Some patients remain reluctant to ask […]
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Peter Davis* was treated for prostate cancer, but subsequently found his PSA was rising. Mr Davis explains why he travelled to Germany for a special type of PET scan developed for men with prostate cancer. Your experience of prostate cancer My father died of prostate cancer in 2000 and my mother told me that her […]
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Updated guidance from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (Nice) states men with “intermediate” and “low risk” prostate cancer should consider having regular check-ups (active monitoring) rather than surgery or radiotherapy. We welcome this focus upon the complex question of when and how to treat prostate cancer, particularly the new protocols published on […]
Read more For men with organ-confined early stage disease, there is a wider range of different treatments for prostate cancer than any other type of cancer. Mr Alan Doherty, consultant urologist at the Birmingham Prostate Clinic, discusses the relative merits and disadvantages of the different types of treatment, answering the questions patients most commonly ask in clinic. […]
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Andrew Pearce* decided HIFU prostate treatment was the best option for him after being diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2007. The minimally-invasive operation was so successful that Andrew was able to go back to work the day after the procedure. “When I was diagnosed with prostate cancer, I discussed all the options with Mr Doherty. […]
Read more The average risk of prostate cancer (one in twelve) is significantly increased if a close relative has been diagnosed with the same condition, so early assessment is very important. Risk for those with a family history of the condition The average risk is one in twelve.
Read more The Prostate Cancer Risk Management Programme recommends the following thresholds for referring men for suspected prostate cancer. This means any man whose PSA result is higher than the recommended threshold is considered to have an ‘elevated PSA’. Having an elevated PSA does not mean you have prostate cancer, or that you are necessarily at a […]
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