I've been writing about my own Prostate Cancer journey since September 2015. I was diagnosed following a routine PSA blood test a few months earlier.

I have a family history of Prostate Cancer, my father Colin died of the disease over 42 years ago so over the past 20 years I've been having regular PSA blood tests.

In my opinion a single PSA test doesn't prove very much unless the result shows a very high level. In my case the level had been 3ng/ml but it suddenly raised to 4.1ng/ml, still not a high figure but a 33% increase and this required further investigation.

I met a Urologist at the Princess Royal Hospital in Haywards Heath, West Sussex and he arranged an immediate MRI scan. The scan did show several areas of concern and I then had a prostate biopsy. My previous blog in February this year explains the process.

12 samples were taken and 11 proved positive for cancer. All of the tumours were contained within the gland. I spoke to a Macmillan nurse who was very supportive and helpful and I was given a useful booklet explaining treatment options.

The first specialist I saw offered Radiotherapy, daily visits to the Brighton Cancer Centre over a period of at least 6 weeks. I then met two surgeons, one in Eastbourne and one at Haywards Heath who would have happily removed my Prostate with nerve sparing surgery.

I then met the Brachytherapy team headed my Professor Laing at St Lukes Cancer Centre in Guildford, Surrey. Brachytherapy was been used successfully for some time, it involves placing tiny 'seeds' coated in a radioactive material directly beside the tumour, killing the tumour from inside as it were.

In my case each treatment option was viable and after some research I decided on Brachytherapy. The side effects are minimal and the success rate is very good. Brachytherapy is not always an option, if the prostate is too large or if the tumour has escaped from the gland other treatments are preferable.

I had the Brachytherapy treatment under general anaesthetic on a Thursday afternoon at Guildford, going home the next morning. I was a little sore but this went away very quickly and I was able to return to work the following Tuesday. I had regular follow ups with the centre and regular PSA tests.

My PSA level has decreased ever since and is now less than 0.1ng/ml. I'm having blood tests twice a year as a precaution.

It will be interesting to see how the BBC and their writers handle the case of 'Alfie Moon's' recent diagnosis in Eastenders (for my American friends Eastenders is a half hour soap which has been running on the BBC 4 evenings a week for what's seems like ever). Alfie Moon is played by Shane Richie. I do hope that Shane's character is offered several treatment options as I was. 

Thats all for now, if anyone would like to talk to me about my treatment decisions please feel free to contact me via the blog.

Time certainly flies, I hadn’t realised my last post was in September 2021!

I’m pleased to say that my general health has been good apart from a problem with one of my eyes, some of you may have seen my blog about that.

I’m still having regular PSA tests, at least every six months. My last test in December 2022 was 0.06 no/mL (Serum prostate specific antigen level) which is well within guidelines. 

It’s probably worth me going over the journey that led to my Cancer diagnosis. Back in 2015 I had been having regular blood tests following a  pituitary  problem I’ve had for a long time. One of the tests was for PSA (Prostate Specific Antigen) a test which measures the levels in the blood. For a long period my PSA level was 3. My neuro consultant noticed a slight rise from 3 to 4 and he suggested further investigation. I visited a consultant Urologist and has an MRI scan. The scan showed some areas of concern (nothing conclusive) and a Truss biopsy was carried out

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The procedure is carried out with local pain relief injections and is slightly uncomfortable but no lasting issues. Eleven separate biopsies were taken and prostate cancer was found in eight of them. Several cancers were found and were categorized as T2. This means they were slightly larger than a T1 and it would show up on a scan and PSA test. The grading also describes whether the Lymph Nodes have cancerous cells. Mine was graded N0 meaning the nodes were clear and also given an M0 meaning the tumour was completely contained within the prostate gland.

I was offered several options for treatment, the first being Active Surveillance, which basically means no treatment but regular PSA tests and checking on any urinary problems & changes in tiredness.

I visited Brighton Cancer Centre and discussed Radiotherapy, regular sessions over a period of 6-8 weeks. The Doctor suggested that I check Brachytherapy.

I saw a consultant surgeon in Eastbourne who explained my diagnosis in great detail and gave me the option of surgery to remove the entire prostate. I also met with another surgeon at the PRH in Haywards Heath who offered similar surgery.

My final consultation was with Professor Laing at St Lukes Cancer Centre in Guildford. he explained the Brachytherapy process.

LDR brachytherapy involves inserting tiny radioactive capsules or seeds directly into the prostate gland through fine needles. Each seed is the size of a grain of rice, and between 80-120 seeds can be used, depending on the size of the prostate and the tumour location.

The procedure is carried out under general anesthetic and recover is remarkably rapid. I had my Brachy on Thursday and was at home the following day. I was back at work less than a week later. There was some discomfort, but nothing really to worry about.

Brachytherapy is not always possible, depending on the size of the prostate gland, the level of tumors and wether the tumor has escaped the gland.

To jump forward, my PSA levels were closely monitored over the following 24 months with regular telephone conversations with a Brachytherapy Nurse to discuss any worries I had. My PSA steadily fell from the original 4.1 at the point of the procedure down to 0.06 today.

For me Brachytherapy has worked well and if it is suitable for you I can certainly recommend it.

Please encourage any man over 50 to have regular PSA blood tests. The first test may not mean much but over a period of years any changes can be monitored.

Prostate Cancer will be found in approx 1 in 8 men. If there is a family history of prostate cancer and if you’re black there is an increased risk.

Make yourself aware of Prostate Cancer.