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Prostate Cancer/HIFU case study
HIFU Case Study - 05/11/09
Name: Raymond Lewis Age: 64 Address: East Grinstead Marital status: Married to Diane, Son James 30, Daughter Nicola 35 and 2 Grandsons. Job: Previously cabin crew for British Airways, now works part-time at Alexander House and Spa Hotel, East Grinstead Consultant Mr Paul Miller Procedure HIFU Date of op Feb 09
History - Last spring, Ray Lewis was reading The Daily Mail when he saw a feature about Max Clifford having prostate cancer. The article said that Max was lucky because it had been caught early and that he was hoping to warn other men by advising them to have a simple blood test called a PSA (Prostate Specific Antigen) which can help indicate if there is cancer present.
10 years ago Ray’s father had died from cancer which had spread from his prostate, around his lower abdomen and eventually into his liver. Bearing this in mind Ray decided to go to his GP and have a PSA check done.
Ray’s first test showed a reading of six, which his GP said was not enough to be concerned about but that he should have another one done in three months. The second reading was 10.5 which, with his father’s history (and even in the absence of symptoms), needed to be investigated further. Ray was referred to Mr Paul Miller at Spire Gatwick Park Hospital who confirmed to Ray that he did indeed have prostate cancer which was extensive although contained in the prostate.
“I was in a bit of a daze for while” says Ray “the worst thing was telling my children. We are a very close-knit family and I couldn’t keep it from them. I knew they had seen what had happened to my father and would be afraid that the same would happen to me. I didn’t tell any friends though; I just didn’t want to discuss it with anyone else”.
Ray had kept up his medical insurance from his days working at British Airways and after an MRI scan, Mr Miller told Ray that, because the cancer was contained and hadn’t spread, he was a perfect candidate for a new non-invasive treatment called High Intensity Focussed Ultrasound (HIFU). “Mr Miller explained how it worked and made me feel much more positive” says Ray “Although of course I was still very anxious”.
Mr Miller comments: “HIFU is a relatively new technology that focuses ultrasonic energy from a transducer outside the body into the prostate and the area of cancer. The aim is to use high energy to kill the cancerous tissue but leave the normal tissue around the prostate untouched. As a result, there is often little or no collateral damage, unlike radiotherapy, brachytherapy or surgery. Ray was a perfect candidate for this treatment as the cancer was localised to the prostate.”
Ray continues, “On the day of the procedure the hardest thing was saying good-bye to my wife Diane. She could have stayed at the hospital but there was little point and she had to get home to walk our dogs anyway. Everyone I came in contact with at the hospital was really nice to me and jollied me along, which helped me to feel better about the situation. I remember going down in the lift and having the pre-med but after that I remember nothing until after the procedure was over.
Although he wasn’t in pain, Ray didn’t sleep much that night: “I watched a lot of football and drank a lot of water until Mr Miller came to check on me the next morning. I was delighted when he told me that I could go home. It was so quick - I’d only been in hospital for one night! ” says Ray.
Three months after having the procedure Ray went to see his GP for a routine cholesterol test. His GP decided to also check his PSA while he was there. A couple of days later Ray received a phone call from his GP advising him that his PSA count was zero! It was fantastic news and a copy of the result was given to Ray to take to Mr Miller at his follow-up consultation. Mr Miller confirmed to Ray that the procedure was successful and he was cancer free.
Mr Miller commented: “Mr Lewis’ postoperative PSA result is what I would have expected if the whole prostate gland had been removed. However this result has been achieved without removing the prostate and the usual side effects of surgery. His long term prognosis is excellent and I would encourage men to have regular PSA checks to ensure prostate cancer is diagnosed at an early stage and they may well be eligible for this new treatment.”
“Looking back I can’t quite believe it all happened to me. It all seems a bit unreal” says Ray “I feel like I’ve won the lottery. I’ve always loved my home and being with my family and now I can spend more time with the people I care about.”
ENDS