A problem with prostate cancer is that it is often talked of as a non-lethal condition. This isn’t true –around 12,000 men a year die in the UK. However, most men with early prostate cancer will not die of it. This means we need to get better at diagnosing the men who need to have their cancer detected, and either not picking up or not giving harmful treatment for those men with less aggressive disease.
Gordon and his colleagues have for years been at the forefront of modern biopsy and imaging techniques, trying to stratify those men who may need invasive tests and reducing the burden of these tests.
While for some men the decision to go for radical treatment, or for active monitoring is easy, there are many men with small cancers for whom we cannot predict exactly what is likely to happen. Interest is growing in the possible place of focal treatment in this area – if a man has a cancer confined to one part of the prostate it may be possible to kill the cancer without damaging the rest of the prostate or the organs around it. We are gaining experience in which men are suitable for these treatments and they are now acceptable to most prostate cancer experts.
Gordon has been active in researching and publishing in prostate cancer diagnostics and focal prostate cancer for some years, offering day case treatments which have low rates of side effects compared to radical options such as surgery or radiotherapy. While time is needed to know the very long term results of focal therapy, current data suggests that for suitable men results for cancer control can be similar to other treatments with low side effect profiles. We are also getting more certain that if a focal therapy does not get rid of a cancer there are good surgical and radiotherapy options waiting in the wings.
Mr Muir currently offers focal therapy using Cryotherapy (freezing) and the Nanoknife (irreversible electroporation), Treatments are done as a day case and no incisions are used. For each individual an estimate is given as to likely cure rates and any complications. Al patients’ data is entered into long term research databases.
Not all men are suitable, and working with World experts in both radical prostatectomy and radiation therapy means Gordon always tries to give men as unbiased and honest an opinion as possible.
We are very happy to have a brief look at case summaries to give an idea as to whether focal therapy is a possible for you.