"Diagnosis and treatment of prostate cancer"

In 2020 my wife died of metastatic cancer originating from a form of kidney cancer. She was a fit active healthy individual so both her diagnosis and her death 3 years later were traumatic.

In March 2024 I was diagnosed with advanced prostate cancer, but which had only very local spread outside the prostate. I was placed on a course of hormone treatment with radiotherapy to follow. The process from referral by GP to completion of radiotherapy went very efficiently, with exemplary care and consideration throughout . 

I spoke with key staff at each stage to say that in  managing my own cancer I found it difficult to separate off my wife’s cancer and my intense involvement in her care. However I did not make it a point of conversation with the majority of the staff- and had no need to.

During these early stages I also had a Whooping Cough infection and (probably) related perforation of the small intestine. This was picked up by the radiologist reviewing the  CT scan in my prostate diagnosis pathway and followed up very promptly. ( After a concerning few weeks  a follow-up CT scan showed the perforation had healed itself)

In May I began a course if hormone treatment, once more dealt with carefully and considerately by Dr Brown and the department’s specialist nurses. Phone and face-to-face contact with nursing and administrative staff was faultless.

My 20 sessions of radiotherapy began in October 2024. As Dr Brown had indicated that the outcome should be curative, I was anxious that it should go well. 

The management of the radiotherapy programme was very impressive, with a daily churn of patients, all at different stages of their RT programme and different requirements in preparation. The  efficiency and concerned care, the relaxed welcome and careful advice meant that by day 3  I was far less anxious and had absorbed the systematic preparation. Whoever selected the staff for the reception got it absolutely right!

In the final step I was taken round to the treatment area- everybody quickly became familiar with the route. Every radiographer introduced themselves and chatted the way in. The preparation for the radiotherapy was meticulous, the cross-checking between the team each time fascinating.

In the first dozen or so sessions there were at times difficulties (my digestive system!), but these were worked through by their skills and changes in my preparation. 

It was recently the last of my 20 sessions. Whether they knew of my circumstances or not I don’t  think I could have had more sensitive care. To a very large extent I have ended up being able to isolate thinking about my own disease and care from my grief and memories.

There is an inevitable come-down after a  demanding month, but also I have the certainty that my care and treatment was absolutely as good as it possibly could be.