Help Us Fight Prostate Cancer
Information about COVID-19 & Prostate Cancer
As of 5 June, many people with prostate cancer are understandably worried about how the coronavirus might affect them. The most important thing is to follow the advice of your healthcare team. Current government advice is people should self-isolate if they develop a new continuous cough or fever or loss/change in your normal sense of smell or taste. For those cancer patients who are shielding (staying at home and avoiding face-to-face contact for at least 12 weeks), it’s currently recommended you continue to follow the protection advice until at least the end of June 2020.
We have taken guidance from several cancer charities called the ‘One Cancer Voice’ on the most common questions that people affected by cancer are asking about the coronavirus and you can read this information here. Cancer clinical trials – Due to the coronavirus outbreak, some clinical trials for cancer patients may stop recruiting new patients for now. Your healthcare team will continue to support and monitor you if you are part of a clinical trial. Talk to your team if you have questions or concerns about a trial you are taking part in.
Please follow GOV.UK and the NHS website for the latest information about coronavirus, including ways to reduce your risk of catching or spreading the virus.
What You Should Know About Prostate Cancer
Prostate cancer has become the biggest cancer killer of men in the UK. It kills one man every hour
Each year nearly 47,000 men in the UK are told they have prostate cancer and more than 11,000 die of the disease
Men are twice as likely to get prostate cancer with a family history of the disease
Black men are at higher risk of getting prostate cancer
Worldwide numbers are staggering. Each year over a million men are diagnosed with prostate cancer and more than 300,000 die from it
Cancer of the prostate can be treated effectively even if it has spread beyond the gland but the disease must be caught early to achieve excellent cure rates
It is vital that men over 50 are aware of the potential problem and consult their GP routinely
Every man over 50 has the legal right, by Act of Parliament, to a PSA test
Symptoms Requiring Action
Prostate cancer is diagnosed by using the prostate specific antigen (PSA) test, biopsies and physical examinations. There can be few symptoms of prostate cancer in the early stages, and because of its location most symptoms are linked to urination. However, such symptoms are often associated with non-cancerous conditions such as an enlarged prostate, prostatitis (inflammation of the prostate) and urinary infection. Men with prostate cancer can also live for decades without symptoms or needing treatment because the disease often progresses very slowly.
Frequent need to pass urine, particularly at night
Delay before urinating and/or interrupted flow
Needing to run to the toilet
Feeling your bladder has not emptied fully
Pain in passing urine or when ejaculating
Blood in semen or urine
Difficulty in getting or keeping an erection
Nagging pain in the lower back or hip area
“In any theatre of war, it is vital to understand your enemy – their strengths, their weaknesses and their behaviour. The same disciplines are needed to effectively fight cancer. I urge you to support the Prostate Project’s battle with this insidious disease that claims so many men’s lives.”
“Being able to talk to men with prostate cancer who had taken the decisions I was faced with, was a huge benefit for me and my family.”
“My partner gets a great boost from being with other “sufferers” and being able to chat to them and swapping experiences gives him confidence. You’re doing a marvellous job and we’re so thankful to be part of your group.”
“The Prostate Project has done a huge amount to improve the care of men with prostate cancer and I thank them for their continuing efforts.”
“My involvement with the PP Support Group enables me to keep up to date and ensure I give others the correct advice. There is help in abundance for prostate cancer patients – don’t die of ignorance.”
Latest News
Our news show us that every small victory is important in the war against prostate cancer. Head over to our news section to learn more about our latest victories and future projects.
The Stokes Centre Has Won the Royal Institution for Chartered Surveyors (RICS) Social Impact Award in Healthcare 2020
The Stokes Centre for Urology at Royal Surrey NHS Foundation Trust has won the Royal Institution for Chartered Surveyors (RICS) Social Impact award in Healthcare 2020, thanks to a design aimed at improving the dignity and wellbeing of the many hundreds of prostate and bladder cancer patients who are treated there each year.
A New £100,000 Diagnostic Imaging at The Stokes Centre for Urology
Thanks to the Prostate Project, a new £100,000 diagnostic imaging device to detect prostate cancer has arrived at The Stokes Centre for Urology.
The Royal Surrey Enters the Steam Era to Treat Prostate Problems
A new treatment option, using steam, for men with bothersome urinary symptoms due to a benign enlargement of their prostate gland, began this month at the Royal Surrey.