New Scanning Technique To Detect Prostate Cancer – Raj Talks To The Mail

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Men with suspected prostate cancer could be spared painful and risky needle biopsy tests thanks to a new scanning technique that can detect tumours just as accurately, a new study has found.

Currently, if doctors believe a man is suffering symptoms that indicate the disease, he will first be offered a blood test that looks for raised levels of prostate specific antigen (PSA), a protein produced by the prostate gland.

Proessor Raj Persad, consultant urologist at North Bristol NHS Trust who took part in the study at Southmead Hospital, said:

‘Accurate treatment of prostate cancer depends on accurate diagnosis, but PSA levels can vary widely and are affected by prostate size, age, recent surgery, how recently a man has had sex, and even cycling, so they are a very inaccurate guide.

And a TRUS biopsy effectively takes tissue samples at random, and so may miss a cancer entirely so we may give a patient the all-clear when they actually have a clinically significant cancer.’

Read the full article on the Daily Mail: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-4591456/New-scan-helps-men-avoid-risky-painful-prostate-biopsy

Raj Talks To The Mail About A Urine Test That Can Help Doctors Spot Signs Of Prostate Cancer
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Prostate Cancer is the most common form of cancer found in men in Britain, with 50,000 new cases diagnosed every year.

In Britain, prostate cancer claims 10,000 lives each year. The disease is difficult to spot early on, as symptoms tend to develop only when the tumour has grown large enough to put pressure on the urethra – causing pain when urinating and frequent, urgent trips to the lavatory. This is when men may first go to their GP with a problem.

Scientists claim that the simple but highly accurate urine test for prostate cancer could prevent 41 per cent of unnecessary invasive biopsies. Men become eligible for the test if they have been identified as being at risk

Professor Raj Persad, consultant urologist at the North Bristol NHS Trust, Bristol Urology Associates and South West Andology, says:

‘The challenges in prostate-cancer diagnosis include finding a test which is accurate enough so that only patients with potentially significant disease go forward for biopsy.’

‘If a non-invasive liquid biopsy can help minimise biopsies, this will be a great contribution.

‘If this new test is more accurate at picking up clinically significant cancers, it could be offered as a screening test for prostate cancer.’

He added:

‘This will need more rigorous clinical testing.

Read the full story on the Daily Mail

View our services page about how we can help men with prostate cancer.

Testosterone-Boosting Nasal Gel, Raj talks to the Daily Mail
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Up to 12.8% of middle-aged men in Europe have a testosterone deficiency and researchers are testing whether the nasal gel will treat men with this deficiency. The theory is that this testosterone-boosting nasal gel will enable the hormone to given via the nose, and will be active in less than an hour.

From the age of 30 to 40 levels of the hormone fall steadily in men at a rate of less than 2 per cent a year. This doesn’t tend to cause problems early on, but a testosterone deficiency that develops later in life (late-onset hypogonadism) can sometimes lead to issues such as low libido, impotence, mood swings and irritability, loss of muscle mass and reduced ability to exercise, insomnia, weak bones and man boobs (gynaecomastia).

The new testosterone-boosting nasal gel, is thought to be more convenient than current skin creams used as testosterone replacement treatments, which can transfer on to anything patients touch (including female partners, where it can lead to an increase in body hair and acne).

Commenting on the study, Professor Raj Persad, a consultant urologist with Bristol Urology Associates and South West Andrology, says:

‘Nasal absorption works well, and is less likely to contaminate partners.

‘Not only is it suitable for the ageing male with low levels of testosterone, but also for a large proportion of younger men who have had damage to the testes following cancer and chemotherapy.’

Read the full article on the Daily Mail.

UroLift, Nick’s story & interview with Raj Persad on ITV

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ITV News covers the story of Nick, a man with an enlarged prostate which caused him to ‘to-and-fro’ to the loo many times during the night, meaning he never got a good night’s sleep.

The UroLift system was the answer to his problem. Brought to the UK by South West Andology Consultant, Raj Persad, this new treatment means that surgery for this condition is now much less invasive. A treasury tag style clip lifts or holds the enlarged prostate tissue out of the way so it no longer blocks the urethra. There is no cutting, heating or removal of prostate tissue.

Please watch the video to find out more about Nick’s story.