"My father's advanced prostate cancer diagnosed"

My father was given the devastating diagnosis of advanced prostate cancer by a urologist at the beginning of March 2025, testosterone blocking injections were administered on the spot and he was advised he’d need these injections monthly forever. This followed referral by his lung specialist who had discovered suspicious nodules in Dads lungs during routine screening for his chronic respiratory disease.

We were also shocked to learn that Dads GP has never checked his PSA or examined his prostate despite him having a history of bowel cancer. In 2021 he had surgery to remove half his bowel followed by 4 months of chemotherapy. Dad was unwell last year and his GP diagnosed iron and vit B12 anaemia, prescribed tablets with no follow up or further investigation that would have revealed the prostate cancer. We’ve kept asking Dad when his GP would follow up after his bowel cancer as we thought he’d need monitoring annually for 5 years. It’s very sad that Dad has slipped through the cracks in the health system.

Full body scan was performed at the end of March and results were given to Dad via a phone call at the beginning of April. They confirmed that the shadows in his lungs, waist and groin are all cancerous, the consensus was no surgery or radiation therapy is possible and so will be managed with drugs in addition to the testosterone blocking injections. Dad was advised that he would hear in the next week or two regarding an appointment with an oncologist but no call came.

As a family we want to support our Dad in any way we can. We have all the questions you would expect us to have:

Details of the diagnosis?

Can we have a copy of the scan results?

What is the prognosis?

What are the treatment options?

Is immunotherapy an option? Or are there any promising drug trials Dad can enrol in?

Can something be prescribed to help with Degarelix side effects?

Will Degarelix make Dads anaemia worse?

Is there a genetic component?

Should other family members be screened?

3 weeks went by but no call came.

In the mean time Dad has been struggling with worsening insomnia due to the side effect of hot flushes. He’s also terribly fatigued and getting aching joints. Dad already manages debilitating health problems including emphysema, pulmonary fibrosis, iron and B12 anaemia.

Dad is a full time carer for our Mother who has dementia so the implications of this advanced cancer diagnosis are far reaching.

The Degarelix side effects caused Dad a severe episode this week. He was so unwell that whilst at ARI for his macular degeneration eye injection he was forced to abandon his appointment and go straight home. He rang and spoke to a cancer nurse who advised him to increase fluids.

We encouraged Dad to ring back the next day to ask what is happening with his treatment as he’d had no word from the oncologist.

So Dad rang the nurse again. She gave him an appointment with the oncologist. The appointment is not until the end of May, a month away.

We're starting to wonder if they were ever going to ring Dad with an appointment at all if he hadn’t asked. We’re so worried about Dad as he is so seriously ill, he is very patient and would never push himself forward. We’re concerned that with such a diagnosis of advanced cancer there is no urgency to see him to optimise his treatment. And having commenced the Degarelix injections at the beginning of March, how will they assess if they’re working? Will another scan be needed before his May appointment? And the end of May is such a long time to wait from the beginning of April without being able to ask basic questions.

Even if we could email our questions to the oncologist it would help.

We know the hospital is so very busy and full of sick people. We know all the staff do their best in difficult circumstances. We are so very grateful for the care Dad receives when he attends there but we’re scared our Dad’s case is being left to fall further through the cracks.