‘Fan-tache-tic’ Movember message from our prostate cancer patients
To highlight Movember and the importance of detecting prostate cancer early, a team of Royal Surrey Urology consultants came up with a ‘fan-tache-tic’ idea to raise ‘hair-wareness’ about getting tested.
The team who work at the Stokes Centre for Urology invited a group of twelve ex-prostate cancer patients back to the hospital to don a Movember moustache and try using the robot simulator and dry lab surgery training equipment.
The men, who have all had radical prostatectomies within the last year, are keen to spread the word about the importance of getting tested for this ‘silent tumour’.
The Trust is known as a national leader in the field of robotic surgery and is one of the few single site NHS Trusts in the UK to have three robots dedicated to performing surgery. Robotic assisted surgery, also known as keyhole surgery, is minimally invasive. It’s been shown to promote faster recovery times for patients, as well as reduced blood loss and discomfort after surgery.
Wissam Abou Chedid, Urology Consultant, said: “We are proud of our work with prostatectomy patients and decided to ask some of them to join us for Movember to highlight a vital health message for all men, as well as their loved ones. Prostate cancer is usually symptomless in its early stages. Getting a simple blood test (called a PSA test) can potentially save men from developing an aggressive cancer and prevent a terrible waste of life.”
Prostate cancer is the most common cancer affecting men in the UK. More than 52,000 men are diagnosed with prostate cancer every year. One in eight men and one in four for black men will get prostate cancer and 11,000 men will die of it each year.
Matthew Perry, Urology Consultant and Clinical Director for Urology, added: “If this disease is detected early, the cure rate five years after surgery is about 90%. The problem is that prostate cancer can be difficult to detect because it is symptomless in its early stages. This is why we are keen to encourage all men aged 50 to 75 (or aged 45 if they are of Afro-Caribbean descent or have a family history of prostate cancer) to ask their GP for a PSA test.”
In September the European Society of Urology recommended that PSA testing (which measures the Prostate Specific Antigen concentration in blood) should be provided as a standard screening option for prostate cancer. Cancer charities are now campaigning for the government to take action to set up widespread screening in the UK.
Unlike screening tests routinely offered for breast cancer or cervical cancer, the PSA blood test is currently left to individuals to request from their GP. The problem is that many men falling within the risk categories are unaware of the need to do this and may have no symptoms to prompt them to seek help.
Ex-patients who gathered for the Trust’s Movember event were fascinated to try the training robot, similar to one of the robots used in robotic assisted prostatectomies. Since being diagnosed with prostate cancer, they have all been vocal about sharing information to encourage friends, family and their local communities to get checked out for prostate cancer.
Andrew Fry, 64, a TV Location Consultant, said: “I was diagnosed with prostate cancer last year after going to see my GP because I was peeing more frequently during the night. I had my prostatectomy on Valentine’s Day and have recovered well. I feel lucky that the cancer was detected when it was and that I was able to have minimal access surgery here at Royal Surrey.
“I was only vaguely aware of PSA testing before my diagnosis and I think we need some creative thinking to get the PSA testing message out there to a wider audience of men. I think it’s helpful if women are aware of PSA tests too, so they can encourage fathers, sons, and partners to get tested.
“I’d really encourage all men aged between 50 and 75 to get checked even if they don’t have any symptoms at all. It’s not difficult to get this blood test; it’s just about being a bit proactive about your health.”
Stuart Bird, 52, software engineer, added: “I think men tend to be a bit scared of what’s going to happen if they find out that they have prostate issues and worry that testing for this is going to be unpleasant and invasive. There isn’t enough awareness that to get checked out, it’s just about having a blood test to find out if you’re at risk of prostate cancer. I certainly wasn’t aware of how easy the PSA test is.
“It’s also very easy to ignore health messages we know we should really do something about. That’s why it’s important to make it as easy as possible for men to get tested, whether that’s through mobile clinics, drop-in testing centres or a wider screening programme, but definitely more has to be done.”