News & Views – The Focal Therapy Clinic Blog

Most of us have never heard the phrase “health inequalities” until it suddenly exploded in its use over the last year, describing a range of

Being told you have cancer can render you mute, and viscerally disconnected between head and heart. The fear, complexity and taboos associated with prostate cancer

There has been much confusion and divisive opinion over the NHS campaign #datasaveslives, aimed at building support amongst NHS patients and the general public to

The substantial drop in GP referrals for prostate cancer diagnostics over the last year has led to concern over a mounting cancer backlog, mainly focused

In April 2021, 22 Health Care Professionals from across the UK became inaugural Clinical Champions for Prostate Cancer UK. The programme was established to create

We have a continual stream of patients who come to the Focal Therapy Clinic having undergone hormone therapy, or having had it recommended to them

Recent studies have shown that prehab/rehab can deliver big benefits to prostate cancer patients. A recent Australian study demonstrated the importance of prostate cancer prehabilitation,

We discussed in a recent blog how Focal Therapy is emerging from the pandemic in terms of what’s driving awareness and demand among prospective patients.

Despite national guidelines, we see considerable variation across the country in key elements of the diagnostic pathway for prostate cancer, exacerbated over the last year

Few treatments for prostate cancer have been unaffected by the pandemic, and focal therapy is no exception.  But a combination of clinical, social and institutional

FUD: Fear, Uncertainty and Doubt. There’s been lots of that around over the last year, and few men with suspected or diagnosed prostate cancer have

Despite active campaigns to address the NHS cancer backlog, many men are feeling the impact of delays and restrictions in cancer diagnostics and treatment incurred

We’ve been thinking a lot in recent months about age and its impact on mens’ experience with prostate cancer. This is a continual and growing

A recent report on digital apps for cancer care was presented to government and NHS leaders by ORCHA Health, “the largest and most comprehensive digital

The facts speak for themselves: Black men are twice as likely to develop prostate cancer as white men and 2.5x more likely as white men

Pelvic health is not a familiar concept or practice for most men, unlike for women who will experience significant changes in their pelvic health following

Healthcare is continually benefiting from the growth, improvement and increased access to medical data, which, combined with advancing data analysis methods and powerful computing is

All men who come to our clinic do so following a diagnosis of prostate cancer and a recommendation for treatment – mostly from the NHS,

In the many interviews and conversations we’ve had with our patients over the last year, few, if any, have concluded without mention of one or more of the “Big Three” side effects that accompany a prostate diagnosis and some forms of treatment – incontinence, sexual function and mental health.

From our conversations with almost 1,000 men who have approached the Focal Therapy Clinic about prostate cancer treatment, we know that many, if not most of them consider the preservation of their sexual function

Covid19 has reinforced and accelerated so many behavioural and health trends from pre-pandemic times – and a commitment to regular exercise is one of them, as “allowed” daily exercise has become an escape from lockdown.

John Mallard’s passing last week has special significance to those of us pushing boundaries in imaging-led healthcare, and prostate cancer in particular. He pioneered the

Over the last few weeks we’ve begun to see some new questions emerging around Active Surveillance (AS), arising from four areas:

We often talk about focal therapy as the “male lumpectomy”, comparing advancements in techniques that have enabled targeted treatment for breast cancer to those for

Like last week’s blog about mental health support for men with prostate cancer, this week’s is about how an already variable and, for many, unsatisfactory

More and more people have experienced periods of poor mental health during Covid, manifested as anxiety and depression arising from a continuing sense of uncertainty,

We are pleased and proud that a landmark study led by Imperial College London comparing outcomes for men undergoing focal therapy and radical prostatectomy has

We are increasingly approached by older men who have been diagnosed with prostate cancer and whose age seems to be the main driver of the

By Alan Doherty, Consultant Urologist, the Focal Therapy Clinic and The Birmingham Prostate Clinic As Covid-19 changes our lives in every conceivable way, inevitably, in

Happy new year! Our first blog of 2021 is inspired by four small and local charities that are making a real impact on prostate cancer

What a year this has been; like a never-ending emotional roller coaster, as fear and despair give way to opportunity and insight, back and forth.

We learn so much from talking with our patients both before and after their treatment. There’s a common theme to many of their comments and

Toilets – no one likes the word, few can look you in the eye when saying it, some even associate its use with one’s place

The multidisciplinary team (MDT) review of patient cases is indisputably a critical part of patient care for men with prostate cancer. Bringing urological, radiological, oncological

Big Data seems to be the solution to many of the world’s problems, if you believe the media stories that abound asserting its potential to

This week was the annual meeting of BAUS, the British Association of Urological Surgeons. Like most meetings this year, it was held everywhere and nowhere

This week began the annual monthlong celebration of moustaches, raising of funds, and high-profile promotion of men’s health – also known as Movember. Founded in

This week saw a major investigation from The Times describing how the NHS overwhelmingly neglected and, worse, outright discriminated against older people during COVID. The

As Black History Month draws to a close, it’s appropriate to focus on recent developments in understanding why black men in the UK bear twice

Recent stories in the media have highlighted growing backlogs in cancer imaging within the NHS. And there has also been recent announcements from the NHS

Over the last few weeks, a double whammy of anxiety has hit the NHS as fears of a Covid second wave build and more evidence

The “special relationship” between the USA and UK, currently watched closely as the former prepares for a general election and the latter for its exit

For many men, an immediate recommendation following a prostate cancer diagnosis is to join a support group. This will generate a range of responses, from

For many men, Active Surveillance is an ideal approach to managing an early-stage prostate cancer diagnosis. They understand the obligations on both patient and care

Earlier this week, the BBC asked the question “Is it time to return to normal”, citing the current level of deaths from Covid19 at 10

Covid19 has recycled the phrase commonly offered to older prostate cancer patients “you don’t die of Covid19/prostate cancer, you die with it”. The implication is,

Focal therapy is all about precision and accuracy. The more precise and accurate the diagnosis, the more precise and accurate the treatment can be. And

While prostate cancer is a men’s disease, its impact is significant on women who are the wives and partners of prostate cancer patients. Often with

We are delighted to have established a partnership with the Harley Street Hospital, offering our patients safe and timely access to focal therapy treatment. As

In a recent On Focus interview, TFTC Consultant Urologist Raj Nigam used the term “Whole Man” in describing treatment decisions for men with prostate cancer.

A recently published survey of European men examined how different prostate cancer treatments affected quality of life. The men surveyed had undergone radical prostatectomy, radiotherapy

Many in the prostate cancer community will have reacted with grave concern over yesterday’s news that MRI scanners and the expertise needed to use them

First published in April this year, The Black Wall Street Times produced a compelling article on the story of three African American men who had

Hormone Therapy is a well acknowledged approach to managing aggressive and later-stage prostate cancers, effectively slowing the spread. The trade-offs between cancer management and side

As the Covid-19 pandemic takes its toll on all areas of our lives, the process of identifying the immediate and the readily apparent issues is

It’s been a sobering week for the black community in the USA and the world has responded with both revulsion at the injustices exposed through

Two news streams came out tin the media his week which, taken together, paint a very serious picture for men in the UK at risk

Research published this week in Uro Today reviewed 24 studies of patients who have undergone Focal Therapy, concluding “most patients will remain free of a

This week is Mental Health Awareness Week, and it’s been both revealing and inspiring to see and hear so many stories from men living with

In response to the growing number of cancer patients whose treatment has been delayed due to the diversion of resources to COVID19, the NHS is

As we progress through the Covid19 crisis and begin to see reductions in infections, the NHS has launched a campaign to advise the public that

Here is the transcript from Marc’s short video on innovations in prostate cancer treatment. Marc says: One of the interesting things about prostate cancer is

In order to get a full picture of your treatment options, we recommend you speak with a prostate health professional who has a complete overview

Prostate cancer is diagnosed based on levels of progression, which are referred to as Early, Locally Advanced and Advanced Stage. Early stage prostate cancer describes

In this article from KSAT, Jeff Nelson, a prostate cancer patient recounts his HIFU Focal Therapy treatment journey. Jeff had fair warning that he may

The diagnosis of early stage prostate cancer is a time of choice and exploration. Please don’t think we are just trying to put a ‘positive

Any regret over a course of treatment is always difficult to hear and whilst every good intention may have been given we see many occasions

The Focal Therapy Clinic’s Marc Laniado is the subject of an article in The Guardian called – Consoles and lasers have transformed my job as

We are highlighting here an extremely interesting article on the Wiley Online Library website which explores the mental impact of being on active surveillance on

This article on the URO Today website covers the SUO session at the AUA 2019 meeting where Dr. Art Rastinehad discusses the selection of patients

In this slide presented at the SUO session at the AUA 2019 meeting by Dr. Art Rastinehad, focal therapy is placed in the current and

In this article and video on the UCLA Health website, UCLA urologist Leonard S. Marks talks about how he and his team are pioneering focal

In this article on the Pub Med website a study has been made into the misinformation on the internet regarding focal and ablative treatments in

In this article and video on the Grand Round In Urology website, John W. Davis, MD, presents “Focal Therapy for Localized Prostate Cancer: Is There a

In this article by Medical Press using information collected as a result of a Canadian Institutes of Health Research Grant, the lack of information and