Professor Peter Hoskin, Consultant Clinical Oncologist said, “Brachytherapy is little known among cancer patients despite new technology having developed the practice to an increasingly effective treatment option. With brachytherapy, many people don’t have to stay in hospital when they have brachytherapy, or if they do, the time is much less than other options such as surgery.”

England Rugby Player, Matt Dawson says: “Having had close family members suffer from cancer, we obviously wanted to find the best possible treatment available, and having easy access to information and learning about our options was a crucial step to helping us deal with the situation. That is why I support the ‘Because Life is for Living’ campaign which encourages patients and their loved ones to make informed treatment choices”.

The ‘Because Life is for Living’ campaign encourages people with cancer and their carers to enter the new website to source information that along with their doctors can help them make informed treatment choices.

The ICM patient survey showed that men were more likely to be offered the treatment. Four in 10 men were aware of brachytherapy compared to less than 1 in 10 women. Awareness among women needs to be increased because brachytherapy can be as effective in treating female-specific indications like breast and gynaecological cancer as it is in treating prostate cancer in men and with the same minimised side effects. The ICM survey also confirmed that cancer patients frequently access the Internet for treatment information.

“The more information available to patients and their families, the better,” added Matt Dawson. “Information about effective treatment options like brachytherapy should be easy to find for anyone dealing with cancer.”

King’s Hospital Consultant Urologist Mr Rick Popert explains the latest information on prostate cancer diagnostics and treatment options in his on-line, plain English articles:

Prostate Cancer Screening – Addressing the dilemma
The Modern Management of Localised Prostate Cancer

If you are diagnosed with prostate cancer, the treatment technology has evolved rapidly even in the past six months and so you will need to find out what method will be most appropriate for you.

When you need prostate treatment it is important to find somewhere which has access to:

• Active Monitoring
• Hormone Therapy
• Radical Prostatectomy
• Open
• Laparoscopic
• Laparoscopic Robotic Assisted
• Prostate Brachytherapy
• External Beam Radiation with Hormones
• High Intensity Focussed Ultrasound (HIFU)
• Cryotherapy
• The latest radiotherapy techniques
• Appropriate surgical or medical treatment expertise,
• Pain management
• Psychological support
• Advice on sexual function.

It is always best to seek a specialist centre, one where you can find all the expertise in one place.  The Guy’s & St Thomas’ Hospitals NHS Trust and the London Bridge Hospital London lead by Rick Popert has a comprehensive treatment program. This program is fully described in Mr Popert’s article – The Modern Management of Localised Prostate Cancer

London’s leading prostate cancer expert, Consultant Urologist Mr Richard (Rick) Popert explains clearly who should request a prostate cancer screen, at what age and how frequently. He particularly emphasises the need to monitor changes in PSA levels, rather than relying on absolute values.

Rick explains that the current furore has been fuelled by the increasing public awareness of prostate cancer and the recognition that if treated early it is curable. He also describes the results of the latest studies and how these can inform our whole approach to screening.

His article provides the precise guidelines that every man needs to inform his decision over whether or not to be screened. Here’s the bottom-line:

The bottom line

The simplest advice therefore is

• If you have a family history and are over 40 demand a baseline PSA
• If you are 50 and have not had one done then have a baseline PSA
• If you have a recent change in your urinary symptoms see your GP
• If you have had a PSA before then find out the result and discuss with your GP
• If it is increasing, request a further test and referral for a urological opinion
• There is huge reassurance from knowing that your PSA is less than the median value for your age, if its higher at least you know you need to be monitored

King’s Hospital Urology Consultant, Richard Popert referring to the government initiative ‘Prostate Cancer Risk Management Programme’ says: “Overall this is a good thing and full specialist consultation was carried out for this initiative which has been ongoing since 2002. I don’t think any Urologist feels that unrestricted national screening needs to be carried out and the studies certainly suggest no specific benefit. The issue here is whether you can select a population which should be screened because they are at greater risk, family history, and whether offering younger men at 40 a baseline test would be of benefit to weed out those most at risk.”

In his article shortly to be published on in Capital Health, Mr Popert explains how to improve the whole diagnostic approach for detecting prostate cancer in men.

This means the search for a reliable diet to help prevent prostate cancer goes on. The failure only serves to emphasise the importance of a balanced, healthy diet – food is still the best way to get your vitamins and nutrients.

When surgery is the only option London Bridge Hospital in London leads the way.

Prostate surgery (TURP) has almost completely replaced open surgery. Thanks to laser technology there is a better option. This new procedure, called GreenLight, is increasingly recognised worldwide as the method of

choice. It has the same outcomes as TURP but with lower rates of adverse events.

Click to read the full article New procedure for prostate cancer by Gordon Muir Consultant Urological Surgeon at King’s College Hospital who has pioneered the new surgery.