Bill Turnbull

Prostate cancer InsightsIssue 14 | Summer/Autumn 2019 A game Prostate changer cancer for men and me How the stars and grassroots of football tackled BILL prostate cancer TURNBULL The problem of recurrence How new research is hoping to stop cancer coming back Prostate cancer news The Manual The latest research Our Specialist Nurse developments answers your concerns Editor’s 4 16 about prostate cancer How football has been a coming back note game changer for men We all know how Partnerships in the beautiful March for Men 2019 important early diagnosis 6 Highlights from this is when it comes to game have helped to raise awareness across summer’s local marches cancer. That’s why we’re 18 and how you can working to find better the country organise your own tests and eventually have “I had a feeling that an accurate screening it wasn’t over”: The A walk with a programme. But even ONTENTS problem of recurrence special kilt with an early diagnosis, 8 We look into how common Plus David Attree there are no guarantees. C 19 it is for prostate cancer shares a poem about his Sometimes the treatment to come back and how father-in-law for Top Dad doesn’t kill or remove researchers are trying to and a round-up of your all of the cancer. As our stop it happening amazing fundraising Specialist Nurse Ali says (p16), this is a common “It’s the thing that’s Get involved fear for men and it can been missing for Whether you fancy a be difficult to face further several years” half marathon or a carol treatment after believing the 12 New resources to help 20 concert, find out what cancer had been cured. men improve physical you can do to support activity and support us over the next Despite that, we don’t for sexual health six months know for sure how big a problem it is – the Prostate Cancer UK Our support records simply aren’t update and services collected. We know that All the latest from us There are lots of ways most men don’t need 13 further treatment, but it’s 22 we can help you deal Prostate cancer and with prostate cancer still more common than me: Bill Turnbull we’d like. That’s why The former BBC Breakfast we’re funding research to 14 improve success in surgery presenter and journalist talks about the incredible or radiotherapy (see p8). response to publicly This research may take sharing his diagnosis years to come to fruition and how football helped but it’s important to him cope with chemo get this right. That way, once we have better tests in place, men with aggressive cancers can have peace of mind that p8 their cancer will be dealt with once and for all. Editorial team Dr Sophie Lutter Maxine Creedy Hollie Varney p14 p18 Penny Eaton Dr Ian Le Guillou (Editor) 2 Insights | Summer/Autumn 2019 INBOX Dear Insights Tell us what you think about the magazine and our stories online at I telephoned my surgery prostatecanceruk.org/news. We want to hear what you’ve got to say. and requested a PSA check with my GP. He flatly refused me the test even though my father had died from prostate Dear Insights Even though the PSA cancer. He went on to Thank you for your excellent and state that the tests were helpful article on active surveillance in test is not that reliable, not reliable and that I did Insights issue 13. I have been on active it is the only thing we not need one, there was surveillance since being diagnosed with no further discussion. prostate cancer aged 74. After seven have at this time. Why do I thought that the NHS years, my PSA level has risen and a men not have screening was there to help us consultant has recommended starting not to put us down and hormone therapy immediately. after a certain age like embarrass people, I now My wife and I are full-time carers and I feel that I am unable to am concerned that the side effects could women do for breast speak with my GP for possibly affect my ability to continue and cervical cancer? fear of further rebuff. doing so. I requested a three-month stay, Brian Grimshaw Liam Bunce so that I could evaluate what options are open for me, but the lack of information Dear Mr Grimshaw, If you’re over 50 and on what other treatments would be talked it through with available to me is a concern. Thanks At the moment there is no test that can your GP then you have for all you are doing and for all the be used as a screening tool for prostate the right to a PSA test. If encouragements that appear in Insights. cancer. The PSA test as you say is you’ve been refused and Keith the best we have, but it is not reliable you’re not sure whether to enough because it can give false positive make a complaint, get in Dear Keith, and false negative results, which would touch with our Specialist do more harm than good. Although Nurses. They can help We are pleased you found our article there’s no screening programme you understand your risk on active surveillance helpful. We are available, men over 50 have the right to of prostate cancer so you sorry to hear your PSA is rising after have a PSA test if they’ve talked through can decide what to do. seven years and understand your the advantages and disadvantages with concerns about starting treatment. their GP or practice nurse. Men at a higher risk of prostate cancer (men with It’s difficult to predict what side effects a family history or black men) can ask someone may experience and to what for the test before the age of 50. degree. You may find it helpful to talk to one of our Specialist Nurses about what GET IN TOUCH! your options might be (see page 22 for contact details). They offer confidential You can contact us via support and information, and can help social media or email on make sense of things at a difficult and the addresses below, stressful time. or write to us at: Insights magazine You may also find it useful to chat to Prostate Cancer UK other men who have been through a Fourth Floor, similar experience either through our The Counting House Online Community forum (see page 23) 53 Tooley Street or our One-to-one support service. London SE1 2QN Like us on Facebook: Follow us on Twitter: Email the Insights team: Prostate Cancer UK @ProstateUK [email protected] Insights | Summer/Autumn 2019 3 PROSTATE CANCER NEWS Study reveals lack of support for sexual side effects of prostate cancer treatment Over 80 per cent of with prostate cancer were offered access to “As a result, too many men struggle with poor were asked questions specialist services. The men are being abandoned sexual function following relating to quality of life study also found that men without any support for a diagnosis of prostate and wellbeing. under 55 were more likely sexual problems – with cancer 1.5–3.5 years to be offered support than older men in particular earlier, yet fewer than This study provides the older men, but even in this missing out. This simply half of these men are most conclusive evidence age group 22 per cent isn’t good enough. With offered any support to to date of the scale of were not offered any. long term implications cope with it, according problems with sexual including depression and to new research. function and the lack of “For some men, it can be relationship breakdowns, services to help men deal months before any erection this is a side effect that The study, called Life with it. In fact, 81 per cent problems are experienced must not be swept under After Prostate Cancer of men responding to following their treatment, the carpet, no matter Diagnosis, was funded by the survey reported their especially if they’ve how old the man is, the Movember Foundation overall sexual function as received radiotherapy. or what treatment he in partnership with poor or very poor. By this stage follow-up has received.” Prostate Cancer UK. In appointments may have the largest survey of its No support at all was reduced,” says Heather See page 12 for more kind, over 35,000 men offered to most men, Blake, our Director of about our work to help who had been diagnosed and only 15 per cent Support and Influencing. men get the right support. New guidelines prompt doctors to offer active surveillance for low risk cancers The National Institute for “From our discussions with be used alongside the Health and Care Excellence men we have discovered NICE guidelines to make (NICE) has updated their that the language used sure active surveillance is guidelines for prostate and information provided delivered to best effect. cancer in England and by clinicians about Wales, including recognition their individual cancer QUICK REFERENCE GUIDE that active surveillance risk has a huge impact Best practice in active surveillance for prostate cancer: offers men with low risk on their treatment A consensus guideline for health professionals localised prostate cancer decision. Regular, open Contents: Introduction 1 3) Decision-making 2 Our guidelines for health professionals 2 4) Follow-up and support 2 1) Who should be offered 5) When to stop active surveillance 3 the same survival benefit as communication with a active surveillance? 2 Expert Reference Group 4 2) Who shouldn’t be offered References used in the review 5 radiotherapy and surgery.

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