Matt Newton, a patient of Clatterbridge Private Clinic, recently had his story publicised following an interview with Prostate Cancer UK after he was diagnosed with stage four prostate cancer and treated at our clinic.
Matt, 51, from Warrington, was diagnosed with stage four prostate cancer last year. He’s urged men not to ignore changes to their bodies: “I noticed I had been going to the toilet a little bit more than usual, even after drinking small amounts of water. I made an appointment with my GP, and they gave me some routine blood tests. They didn’t find anything untoward in that. Then, the GP asked if I’d had a PSA test. I didn’t know what that was.”
“The results of that came back pretty quickly, and my PSA score was high. I got referred to a urologist who did further tests like an X-ray, an MRI scan and other scans, which revealed that the prostate cancer had spread to the bone.”
“I went through a course of chemotherapy, which was 18 weeks, and shortly after that, I had 20 sessions of radiotherapy. I’m on daily medication now and six monthly hormone tablets, so hopefully, the treatment I’ve got has given me a little bit more extra time to play with.”
Matt was treated in our state-of-the-art clinic and was provided with fast access to the treatments he needed to prolong his life. His consultant, Dr Shaun Tolan, created a tailored treatment plan based on Matt’s diagnosis and specific needs. He receives continued support from Dr Tolan and the rest of the clinic team.
Matt is now advocating for men to get checked if they have any concerns: “I sat on my blood forms for about six weeks because it wasn’t important in my head. It was just another blood test. Thankfully, it was my wife who noticed that my forms were on my desk and she said, are you going to get that done? I said, yeah, yeah, I will do at some point. And it’s a good job I did.
“Don’t put it off. Don’t be ignorant about it. It’s better to be told early than be in my position. Even if you’re not sure, go and get checked.”
Why early diagnosis is so important
Early diagnosis is so important. Spotting cancer at an early stage can save lives. If cancer is diagnosed at an early stage when it isn’t too large and hasn’t spread, there is more chance it can be treated successfully. This is why it’s so important to check yourself regularly for signs of cancer and tell your doctor as soon as possible if you notice anything abnormal.
1 in 8 men will get prostate cancer, and all too often, they find out by chance when it’s too late. Prostate cancer is not always life-threatening, but when it is, the earlier you catch it, the higher chance of curing it and survival. If prostate cancer is diagnosed at stage 1 or stage 2, almost 100% of people will survive their cancer for 5 years or more after they are diagnosed. This drops to a 50% chance of survival for men diagnosed with stage 4 prostate cancer.
Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men. It mainly affects men over 50, and your risk increases with age. The risk increases for those with a family history of prostate cancer and is higher in black men. Below are some of the symptoms to look out for.
Symptoms of prostate cancer
In the early stages, prostate cancer may not cause symptoms. But there are some symptoms to look out for. Some men experience urinary problems, which can be mild or happen over a prolonged period of time. The list of potential symptoms includes:
- An increased need to pee
- Straining while you pee or taking a long time to pee
- A feeling that your bladder has not fully emptied
- Difficulty in starting to pee
- Needing to rush to the toilet more often
- Weak flow
- Blood in urine or blood in semen
If the cancer has progressed or spread, this can also cause some other symptoms, including bone and back pain, a loss of appetite, pain in the testicles and unexplained weight loss.
If you experience any symptoms or think you may be at risk of prostate cancer, you should visit your doctor as soon as possible.
New research aims to improve the chances of survival.
This warning comes as new research funded by Prostate Cancer UK is said to offer better survival chances to those with the deadliest form of the disease. The £1.5 million research project uses artificial intelligence and cutting-edge genetic analysis to try to revolutionise the way men with the deadliest prostate cancers are diagnosed and treated.
The researchers, led by Professor Ros Eeles, a world-renowned geneticist at The Institute of Cancer Research, London, could predict whether a person’s prostate cancer will be aggressive at the point of diagnosis, giving them the best chance of targeted treatment before it spreads. Artificial intelligence (AI) and cutting-edge genetic analysis are used to look for tell-tale genetic signatures in blood and tumour samples from men whose cancer is aggressive. This information will then be used to develop a tool that can predict whether a man’s prostate cancer is going to be aggressive from just a blood sample.
This research aims to help ensure men get targeted treatment plans, tailored to their needs before their cancer begins to spread, helping to extend their lives and improve their quality of life.
Treating prostate cancer
The treatment you receive depends on the type of prostate cancer you have. At Clatterbridge Private Clinic, we provide all our patients with tailored treatment plans that are most-suited to them and their condition. Our patients gain fast access to treatment and care, and the innovative treatment technologies available at our clinic.
Treatments available for prostate cancer at the Clatterbridge Private Clinic include radiotherapy, immunotherapy and other targeted drug therapies and chemotherapy. We will also soon be offering groundbreaking new radioligand therapy.
Radioligand therapy for prostate cancer
Clattebridge Private Clinic is one of few clinics in the UK offering this innovative new treatment to extend lives and increase the quality of life for those with late-stage prostate cancer.
Radioligand therapy specifically targets a compound called PSMA, which is overexpressed in prostate cancer cells. It is designed to find and attack PSMA+ cells, including cancer cells, leaving little damage to the surrounding cells.
As PSMA-targeted radioligand therapy is so targeted to the cancer cells, it is a lot less impactful on patients day-to-day life. By targeting the cancer so directly, not only do patients get extended life, but it provides them with a much better quality of life than they would get with other treatments, such as chemotherapy and radiotherapy, as they do not suffer from the side effects associated with these.
Data from the VISION clinical trial shows that PLUVICTO radioligand therapy can help patients live longer, with patients treated with radioligand plus standard therapy living a median of 15.3 months vs 11.3 months for those using standard therapy alone. It also found that it helps to delay progression and provide more time without cancer worsening as those treated with PLUVICTO plus standard therapy lived for a median of 9 months without their cancer worsening compared to just 3.5 months for those treated with standard therapy alone.
30% of those treated with PLUVICTO also saw their tumours shrink compared to just 2% of those treated with standard therapy alone. 46% also saw their PSA levels drop by at least 50% compared to just 7% for those treated with standard therapy.
This revolutionary new treatment can significantly improve the lives of those with late-stage prostate cancer, and we’re proud to soon be able to offer this to our patients.
Referral to the Clatterbridge Private Clinic for prostate cancer treatment
If you suspect you may have prostate cancer, it’s important you get checked by a doctor as soon as possible. If you have received a prostate cancer diagnosis and would like to be treated at the Clatterbridge Private Clinic, you can ask your doctor to refer you to us. For help or more information about our clinic, treatments, and how to get referred here, get in touch with our team on 0151 556 5470 or drop us an email at ccf-tr.info.clinic@nhs.net.