Cancer centre celebrates a century
Clatterbridge Centre for Oncology celebrated a very special century this week when it treated its 100th patient with a radical prostate cancer technique.
The treatment was initially introduced at the hospital thanks to a generous donation from Wirral and North Cheshire Prostate Cancer Support Group, and now 100 patients later the treatment is firmly established at the hospital as one of the most successful ways to treat early stage prostate cancer.
The treatment known as low dose brachytherapy involves the insertion of small radioactive ‘seeds’, each the size of a grain of rice, directly into the prostate gland. The seeds then give off low levels of radiation for up to one year which kills the cancer cells. The procedure is complete in just two visits to the hospital, one for treatment planning and one for the insertion of the ‘seeds’. As each ‘seed’ only affects a small area and relatively little radiation reaches the near-by organs, recovery time is fast with most men returning to work and daily activity within a few days.
Robin Hodgson from Shotton was the 100th patient to be treated with the technique. 62 year old Robin is Managing Director of local firm Deeside Industrial Services Ltd. He told us: “I’m very active, I travel a lot through my work and I enjoy a busy social life. The option of surgery to remove the cancer was offered to me – but this procedure seemed a much better option, and I’m so glad I chose it. I’ve had minimal disruption to my routine, just a few appointments to plan the treatment – then one day in hospital, and all done! I was a bit uncomfortable in the few days after the implants but that passed quickly and the doctors have assured me I’ll be able to return to all normal activities within a week or so. I’ve been fortunate to catch the cancer in its early stage, and even more fortunate to have the expertise of Clatterbridge on my door step. I can’t praise them highly enough. There are so many criticisms of the NHS – but this hospital should be safe in the knowledge they are a first class organisation. I can’t thank them enough for the excellent care they have given me.”
Isabel Syndikus is a Consultant in Clinical Oncology at Clatterbridge Centre for Oncology, she helped introduce the treatment technique at the Centre and treated the very first implant patient. She told us: “For patients with early prostate cancer and normal urinary function, brachytherapy is an excellent treatment with very good cancer control rates.”
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