Lead nurse to give talk

Our next BAWA members’ meeting is on September 24, when Carol Chapman (Lead Cancer Nurse at N Bristol Trust) and possibly a colleague will talk about their services (directions here). Our autumn walk and pub lunch will be on Friday October 4. More later. The November BAWA meeting will be an informal one (a switch from the programme card).

Coffee mornings held at the Macmillan Centre, Southmead Hospital, on the first Thursday of each month (10am-12.30), to help new patients. A few more members are needed to help out. Please contact our chairman.

New hope over advanced cancer

An Australian cancer trial that used precision radiation treatment to help men with advanced prostate cancer has shown promising results. The trial, the world’s largest, treated almost 200 men with advanced prostate cancer that had spread using stereotactic body radiation therapy. The treatment uses radiation in high doses to target small areas of cancer while sparing healthy tissue (July ’19). See more here

Urine test decides early treatment

UK researchers have developed a urine test to diagnose aggressive prostate cancer and predict whether patients will need treatment up to five years earlier than standard clinical methods (Jun ’19). See more here

Tracking down tumours

A radical ‘seek and destroy’ treatment could extend the lives of thousands of men with advanced prostate cancer. The approach – described by experts as ‘game changing’ – uses high-tech molecules to track down tumours and blast them with a radioactive payload (Jun ’19). See more at

MRI scans to replace PSA?

Hundreds of UK men are trying out a non-invasive MRI scan for prostate cancer to see if it should eventually be offered routinely on the NHS. The scan takes images of the inside of the body to check for any abnormal growths. Scientists running the trial say it will take a few years to know if MRI will be better than PSA tests and biopsies at spotting cancers (Jun ’19). Prostate Cancer UK said the news made headlines but journalists “can be overly enthusiastic about new research” and put the record straight here:

A first for advanced patients

GenesisCare announced that the first UK patients have been treated with Theranostics personalised treatment for advanced prostate cancer outside a clinical trial. This is the first time this treatment has been clinically available in the UK, bringing new hope for patients with late stage prostate cancer (Jun ’19). More info

Drugs to attack resistant cancer

The world’s first drugs designed to stop cancer cells becoming resistant to treatment could be available within the next decade, scientists have said. A ÂŁ75m investment to develop the drugs has been announced by the Institute of Cancer Research (May ’19). See more here

Help with treatment – but beware

AN NHS tool is now available – intended for men with non-metastatic prostate cancer who are deciding between conservative and radical management regimes. It is intended only for men with non-metastatic prostate cancer who are deciding between conservative and radical management regimes. It’s recommend that patients use this tool in consultation with their doctor (Apr ’19). See here. You may have read about this tool in newspapers, but not all the news was 100% accurate – check this NHS Behind The Headlines Page for the facts.. And four new technologies that will tame the immune system are getting us closer to a future where cancer becomes curable. See more here

Cancer survival rates published

Public Health England has published a statistical bulletin on survival rates (1-year and 5-year) for many types of cancer based on more recent data than previously available. If PCa is diagnosed at stages 1, 2 or 3, the 1-year survival rate is as good as for everyone else and the 5-year rate is the same for stages 1 and 2 (>96% for stage 3). Hence the importance of early diagnosis. A summary of the stats is to be found here with a link to the full report

A Bristol first – and sparing nerves

A Bristol man is the first NHS patient to have a device implanted which can reduce the side effects of radiotherapy by 70%. Alan Clarke first had radiotherapy in 2011 but the cancer returned. He was selected to be first to receive the spacer because he was considered to be more at risk of suffering side effects from a second course of radiotherapy (see more here). And a trial to spare the nerves around the prostate during surgery is being held at Southmead Hospital. if successful, it will reduce the risk of erectile disfunction and will be available throughout England. The trial featured on BBC Points West on January 23 ’19.

New guidance on active surveillance

New best-practice guidelines for doctors offering active surveillance have been published, as NICE recognise the procedure as being on a par with surgery and radiotherapy for men with low-risk localised prostate cancer (May ’19). More here. And Prostate Cancer UK run a monthly group chat from men on active surveillance who want to share experiences and ask questions about the treatment. The group chat is on the second Tuesday of the month (7-8pm). Join the chat here. More news on the Newsletter page.