14th February 2024

Cancer matters

This time last year, on Valentine’s Day in fact, following a recurrence of prostate cancer symptoms, I arrived at the Princess Grace Hospital in London to undergo a radical robotic prostatectomy to get rid of the cancer, hopefully, once and for all.

I am hopeful that the anniversary of what was quite a major surgery shock for me can be used to highlight the need for men of a certain age or ethnicity to get themselves checked out.

The Panacea community is made up mostly of men and recent research would confirm that 45% of the age demographic are within the 50-59 age group and 24% are over 60.

Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men in the UK. Over 40,000 men are diagnosed with prostate cancer every year. Over 250,000 men are currently living with the disease and it is a killer if left undetected.

Research in the UK shows that about 1 in 8 men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer in their lifetime. The majority of men with prostate cancer are aged over 60 years and although the disease was very rare in men under 50, more over the age of 40 since Covid are now found to have this type of cancer.

We don't know exactly what causes prostate cancer but there are some things that may mean you are more likely to get it. We do know there’s a huge variation in the likelihood of men being diagnosed when it’s too late for a cure.

Yes, there is a North/ South divide, in London just 1 in 8 men (12.5%) with prostate cancer are diagnosed late whereas in Scotland more than 1 in 3 (35%) are diagnosed late, at stage 4. Wales, Northern Ireland, and the North and Midlands of England are also shown to be badly affected.

The following, along with help from the internet, will I hope assist in understanding what it is, what symptoms to look out for, how it is detected and how it is treated.

I should point out that there is a problem with the first port of call to see if you have it.  

A PSA test (a blood test that measures the level of prostate-specific antigens) can be unreliable and this was explained to me, especially as my previous results had been negative. In other words, it may not detect the actual presence of a cancer.

My diagnosis that led to last years surgery was prompted by a doubling of PSA numbers on my regular six-monthly checks. The one 6 months before, in the summer of 2022, had been normal, yet in December 2022 it had doubled. There has been some talk that my most recent Covid booster in September 2022 could have some linkage.

After looking at the PSA data, my consultant gave me another, far more detailed shall ultrasound examination- an interesting ‘inner body experience’, and immediately informed me, with some quite graphic images, that my prostate was some three times the normal size. To allow him to understand more, an MRI scan followed by a pre surgery CT scan was now needed.

I was left with two choices, radiotherapy. This treatment is an option for curing prostate cancer that has not spread beyond the prostate or has not spread very far. Radiotherapy can also be used to slow the progression of prostate cancer that's spread and relieve symptoms.

Or, a radical prostatectomy, the surgical removal of your prostate gland. This treatment too is an option for curing prostate cancer that has not spread beyond the prostate or has not spread very far.

These options were discussed with experts in both fields. In my case the recommendation was to have a radical prostatectomy because if surgery failed to see a cure, radiotherapy was seen as a fallback option. It is not possible to have a radical prostatectomy if the radiation treatment failed.

Thankfully, I was ‘out to lunch’ for this procedure having been given a general anesthetic and I am really pleased to know that one year later the 3 monthly checks are still looking good and assuming they continue, it will be 6 monthly checks going forward. 

So, the purpose of this highly personal blog is to highlight the fact that you guys, especially if you are over 40, reading this need to look out for the symptoms and get checked out now if any are showing. 

The symptoms of growths in the prostate are similar whether they are non-cancerous (benign) or cancerous (malignant). The symptoms include:

• Having to rush to the toilet to pass urine
• Passing urine more often than usual, especially at night
• Difficulty passing urine, including straining to pass it or stopping and starting
• A sense of not being able to completely empty the bladder
• Pain when passing urine
• Blood in the urine or semen

The last two symptoms – pain and bleeding – are very rare in prostate cancer. They are more often a symptom of non-cancerous prostate conditions.

If you have any of the above, there are no prizes for hoping they will go away as I can tell you they will not, and if left could end up killing you, get to see your doctor now.

If I can conclude by saying that for wives and partners this is a big worry for them, they do not suffer but do feel your pain while you are being investigated and especially if you are found to have a problem. It can be life changing for them too.

Give them some recognition for the support they give you in getting through this.

Derek Bradley

ceo and Panacea founder

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