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Q and A about Prostate HistoScanning by Miss Lucy Simmons

Lucy qualified in Medicine from Newcastle University. She is currently a clinical research fellow at University College London & University College London Hospitals Trust where she is undertaking a postgraduate medical research degree under the supervision of Professor Mark Emberton and his team. Her research focuses on a novel imaging technology for prostate cancer detection- Prostate HistoScanning™.

In May Lucy took part in the BUPA London 10km race, raising £1275 for the Prostate Cancer Research Centre.

What is Prostate HistoScanning™?

Prostate HistoScanning™, is a new 3D ultrasound imaging technology that utilises the raw data usually obtained but not show, during prostate ultrasound. It aims to  distinguish the tissue characterisation signals that are normal from those that may be indicative of prostate cancer. Consequently Prostate HistoScanning gives a prediction in the form of a picture of the presence or absence and location of prostate cancer within the prostate.

Why do we need Prostate HistoScanning™?

Prostate cancer is a major health issue facing the men in our lives. It is the most common cancer in the UK accounting for nearly a quarter of all new male cancers. Yet it remains one of the only solid organ cancers where there is no established imaging test widely available to aid diagnosis.

In the UK the standard practice for investigating prostate cancer includes a digital rectal examination (DRE) of the prostate by your doctor to feel for any abnormal lumps on the prostate and a blood test called Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA) which, if raised, may help the doctor work out if a man is at risk for prostate cancer. When one or both of these tests are suspicious for prostate cancer, men are normally referred to a urology doctor for biopsies of the prostate and diagnosis.

Biopsies of the prostate are taken using an ultrasound probe that is placed in the back passage and used to guide needles into the prostate. In most places around the UK this procedure is still performed in an untargeted manner  i.e. the doctor will take a number of biopsies from predetermined areas in the prostate- usually 8 to 12 samples depending the size of the prostate. The biopsy process is an unavoidably invasive test with most men experiencing bleeding after the procedure either in the waterworks or from the back passage. Also, due to the needles passing through the back passage into the prostate, the biopsy test carries a 4% risk of infection. Because of the untargeted technique used, some significant cancers can be missed by chance, or because they are in an area not commonly sampled. Also, as many men develop small harmless prostate cancers as they age, these can be detected on biopsy.  Uncertainty over whether this might be part of a larger cancer means that some men will have these cancers treated unnecessarily. 

 In other cancers, such as breast cancer, it is common to perform a targeted biopsy, where women with a normal imaging test (mammogram) do not have a biopsy, and those with an abnormal imaging test have only that abnormal area sampled with a biopsy. 

Many doctors think that there is a need for a widely available imaging technique, such as Prostate HistoScanning™, to have a similar role in the diagnosis of prostate cancer.

 What does a Prostate HistoScanning™ test involve?

A Prostate HistoScanning™ test is very similar to a standard transrectal ultrasound of the prostate. Men are asked to empty their bladder and bowel prior to the procedure. They are requested to lie on their left hand side and an ultrasound probe is inserted into the back passage. With the aid of a hand held motor, the probe is rotated slowly through 180 degrees to capture a full set of 3 dimensional data of the prostate gland.

This data is then analysed by the Prostate HistoScanning™ software. When areas suspected to be cancer are detected, these are mapped as red areas on the ultrasound image, with the prostate boundary outlined in yellow, as seen in this picture which shows a transverse slice through the prostate. 

How good is HistoScanning™ at detecting prostate cancer?

There are now more than 30 Prostate HistoScanning™ centres across Europe and the clinical evidence in support of the technology is increasing.  The latest results indicate that Prostate HistoScanning™ shows potential to accurately detect and localise cancerous lesions within the prostate.

However this technique still requires further verification and clinical trials are currently underway to investigate the potential role of Prostate HistoScanning™ for prostate cancer detection. Many imaging tests are undergoing evaluation for their usefulness in prostate cancer diagnosis- Prostate HistoScanning™ is just one of the possible modalities.

Should anyone be interested in this new technique or other clinical trials for the diagnosis of Prostate Cancer please ask your doctor to refer you to -

Professor Mark Emberton

Department of Urology

University College London Hospitals Trust

250 Euston Road

NW1 2PG.

Jumping out of a plane for research....

Thank you to all those that took part in our first national mass sky dive on June 19^th - Fathers Day.  Final figures are yet to be confirmed but we have received one very large contribution from charity supporter John Haffenden.

John was diagnosed with non aggressive prostate cancer about three years ago. After a couple of years of active surveillance, he decided to have a radical prostatectomy which took place in June 2010. The trigger to this decision was PSA test readings; which had started to go up at an alarming rate. And is also the reason he has chosen to support our research.   

John told us “The operation seems to have removed all the cancer, which is obviously great, but as I understand it, the rising PSA readings could have been more to do with the (significantly enlarged) prostate itself than the cancer. With a more accurate screening test and generally a better understanding of the progression of the disease, I may have been able to continue for many, many years without surgical intervention (or other forms of treatment) - thus avoiding the unwelcome side effects.  The reason why I want to raise money for the PCRC is that more research is needed if prostate cancer is to be consistently and accurately screened, diagnosed and treated. 

For example, at the moment, the PSA screening test used only gives a (not very precise) indication that there might be a problem. The existence of cancer can only be verified (or otherwise, hopefully) through a biopsy.  A more accurate method of screening is therefore needed so that it can be determined whether or not there is any cancer without the need for the uncomfortable and invasive removal of cells from the prostate. 

Not enough is known about the progression of the disease.  Many men live with the cancer for years without necessarily knowing they have it and without any adverse effect on their lives.  Where 'low level' cancer has been diagnosed, the research information is not yet good enough to predict whether surgery or radiotherapy is actually required.  These treatments have some unwelcome side effects and it may well be the case that many men could safely continue to live their lives for many years with regular check ups but without any treatment”

Not only has John raised a massive £2581.25 (the most we have received yet through a sky dive) but he is now nursing an injury after breaking his ankle on landing.  John is now currently laid up at home in plaster catching up on DVD’s he hasn’t got round to watching! 

On behalf of all those working within our team, a huge thank you!

 

If you'd like to add to John's total his fundraising page is still open for donations: http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/JohnHaffenden

 

Stem Cells – Dr Aamir Ahmed PHD

It is a truism to say that it is a miracle that a complex system like the human body remains disease free for long periods of times. Conversely, it is amazing that things don’t often go wrong. The inbuilt defenses of man (term used in its gender neutral sense!), honed over many millennia, can cope with and rectify many things that go awry millions of times a day. So for example, our bodies are attacked innumerable times in a day by a variety of fellow living organisms like bacteria or some non-living entities  such as viruses, however, the finely tuned cells of the immune system attacks, gobble up (literally) and destroy these. The body is also capable of repair and maintenance of cells that make up its organs. These cells have a finite life span and must be replenished continuously.

The process of regeneration, life and death of cells within each human organ, is as natural as the grass is green (unless you live in Kentucky, where the Poa Pratensis variety of grass appears blue!). In addition to fighting external threats, our bodies are also adept at repairing and maintaining existing organs. How this is done is a fascinating story that we have just started to understand at its most basic level. Now this phenomenon is not as fascinating when you consider that we are all results of combining of two cells- an egg and a sperm  (that makes these two, very,  very powerful cells)-  but fascinating nonetheless.

It turns out that, within every organ in the adult human body some cells retain similar (but thankfully much diminished) capacity or potential as the fertilized egg, i.e. a capability to turn into a multitude of different varieties of cells that make up an organ. The cells whose job it is to renew the organ and replace the cells through normal wear and tear are called stem cells. We have known about these cells for just over a century. The term is attributed to a Russian scientist named Aleksander Maksimov and was inspired, allegedly, by the stem of a tree that appears as a source giving rise to different branches, just as some cells within an organ giving rise to all other types of cells that make up that organ.

We now know that the stem cells are involved in normal repair and regeneration of organs such as prostate and when things go awry they are capable of causing diseases such as prostate cancer and benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). It follows that if we can identify stem cells in the prostate and are able to target them for destruction, we may be able to treat diseases of the prostate.  Cell based therapies, such as those thought up for stem cells, hold a tremendous promise for not just treating but curing diseases.  With better understanding and more research these will sound less like miracles and more like truisms.

Training and fundraising for the Bupa London 10k

Angus Towler completed the Bupa London 10k for us and, so far, has raised an amazing £1200!!  Here's what he had to say about training and fundraising for the big day...

Even the most meticulous training programme cannot dodge fate – as I found out preparing for my first 10K run ...

Despite encouragement from other runners I know, I always resisted running outside – but was forced into it last year when the air-conditioning at my gym malfunctioned for months on end. I slowly built up the distance I ran, diligently researching warm-up and stretching techniques, compiling playlists of songs to run to ... in short, I became hooked. So when the Bupa London 10K was recommended, I decided to go for it – and being able to run for a charity fighting the disease that took my dad made it a must.

 

Training went pretty well: I reached the 10K mark comfortably and the dry spring made for great running weather. Friends and family were quick to sponsor me, which helped build my confidence. I had just one final pre-race training session and was feeling pretty confident – then we were burgled. Rushing to try and at least get a look at the intruder, if not stop him, I crashed to the ground, landing a heavily bleeding cut to my head above the right eye, numerous cuts and grazes and twisting and badly bruising my right leg. So, five days before the race, I was being ferried to A&E in an ambulance.

 

My hospital stay was mercifully short but, limping home, I could not imagine being in a fit state to participate. Not only had the burglar taken my wedding ring, he’d quite possibly robbed me of the chance to run. I was gutted, feeling I’d let down my sponsors and my dad if I didn’t make it, but aware that running with injuries would be plain stupid. However, thanks to my osteopath and the body’s natural restorative powers, it seemed possible the day before that it might not be out of the race after all. Following some sage advice from my partner, I decided to go for it.

 

I’m so glad I did. Although part of me wondered if I’d stay the course at first, I fell back into the rhythm of running pretty easily. The atmosphere was uplifting, my fellow runners inspiring, and I was both relieved and exhilarated when I crossed the finishing line. Not only had I raised over £1,000 for PCRC, I’d achieved something I thought was impossible only days before. So the burglar didn’t get away with everything ...

 

You can still sponsor Angus at http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/AngusTowler

Thanks Angus!! 

Making to Everest Base Camp!

Sleep deprivation, altitude sickness, an atmosphere of only 40 per cent oxygen, temperatures
of minus 25^oC, rock falls, avalanches ...Individually pretty daunting but, together, even more so – and just a few of the challenges Neil Emmett valiantly took on to raise money for the Prostate Cancer Research
Centre. His total stands at nearly £4,000 – an outstanding achievement made even more remarkable given that BP has promised to match the donations he’s got. 

Although Neil found the 18-day trek a lot tougher than he expected, he still views it as an experience of a lifetime. Well over half of the 168km he walked were  4500m above sea level, including the four major peaks featured in his route – Gokyo Ri (5355m), Chola Pass (5380m), Everest Base Camp (5365m) and Kala Patar (5545m).  Making this dramatic journey also meant overcoming fatigue, ‘Nepalese belly', muscle cramps and sunburn, as well as the harsh and unrelenting weather and terrain. ‘I must emphasise not all the points above were on my risk assessment,’ says Neil, ‘particularly the Yak dung burners!’ 

He has nothing but praise for Nepal and everyone he met there: ‘It’s a wonderful, safe country with outstanding natural beauty, and great, great people who have fantastic human spirit despite abject poverty, poor education and reliance on the mountain tourism industry.’

Neil is hugely grateful to everyone who sponsored him on his dramatic adventure: ‘I have been genuinely blown away by the level of support and messages of support.  If you still wish to donate, my site will be open for a couple more months yet.’

http://www.justgiving.com/Neil-Emmett

Cross the finish line for The PCRC...

Run towards a future without prostate cancer

Research scientists here at the Prostate Cancer Research Centre are working towards identifying the changes that make prostate cancer cells grow and spread to other parts of the body.   Our aim is to improve management, develop new treatment and increase the survival of men with prostate cancer but we need your help.

Whether you’re a complete beginner or have been running for years there is an organised race happening somewhere that’s ideal for you and where you can raise much needed funds whilst completing your challenge. 

Peter van den Berg took on a very unusual challenge for us last month... 

We were very pleased when we received the call from Peter letting us know he intended on running his first official marathon in support of the Prostate Cancer Research Centre but we were amazed to find out the marathon would be taking place in the North Pole!

Although this is a mammoth challenge by anyone’s standards Peter is an experience runner and, along with his wife who also tackled extreme weather conditions to complete the 26.2 miles, was confident of his success. 

When asked why he has chosen to support our charity Peter said ‘while there is a lot being done to raise awareness for prostate cancer and money being raised for palliative care of sufferers, I think research is a massively overlooked but extremely important area’. 

Statistics show if you live long enough you’ll get prostate cancer.  At 50 years old a man has a 50% chance of being diagnosed with prostate cancer, at 60 years old it’s a 60 % chance, at 70 its 70% and so on.  So if you live long enough you WILL get prostate cancer; hence why our research is so important.

Peter’s father is in his 80’s and has prostate cancer and he feels it is a ‘terrible, inconvenient and embarrassing’ affliction to have to deal with in the final decade of his life.  

So thank you Peter for taking on this huge challenge and raising £2k for our vital research.

Vanessa Ball and Jo Wilkinson have both signed up to join our Bupa 10’000 team this May.  Vanessa only found out very recently her granddad died of prostate cancer.  She told us that her family had not felt comfortable at the time discussing his health openly, as it was, and still is to certain extent, a ‘taboo’ disease.  Spreading awareness is another area we are trying to tackle.  Prostate cancer is curable if caught early but very difficult if the disease is allowed to grow and spread.

To support the girls http://www.justgiving.com/Jo-and-V

From 5/10k runs to North Pole marathons we are extremely grateful for every challenge taken up in support of our charity.

For information on how to sign up to a run in support of the Prostate Cancer Research Centre please go to www.prostate-cancer-research.org.uk/running

 

The Mongol Rally

This July Louise and her husband Ed will be officially celebrating their honeymoon by joining hundreds on the Mongol Rally ‘the world’s best generator of chaos’! 

Louise and Ed were married in June 2009 but cancelled their original honeymoon trip to Corsica as her father was seriously ill in hospital with prostate cancer.  The cancer had spread quickly and he had not responded well to chemotherapy so with the wedding fast approaching, and accepting he would not be able to make  the ceremony, they made arrangements for a link via a webcam so he wouldn’t miss a thing.  Louise wanted to share the big day with her father as much as possible so after their meal she, still in her wedding dress and attracting much attention, and her new husband went straight to the hospital.

Unfortunately he didn’t improve any further and passed away a month after the wedding.  Louise told us that her father, not always an easy man to please, felt he was in the best possible hands at the UCH because of all the research carried out there.  It’s because of this reason that Louise and Ed have chosen to raise money in support of the Prostate Cancer Research Centre taking part in this adventure!

A bit about The Mongol Rally from the organisers:

“The Mongol Rally isn't about comfort and it doesn't have a great deal to do with style; what we seek is adventure. The whole point is that it's difficult. So the one litre rule was born. To tackle the worst roads the world can throw at you you need to turn up to the startline in a Granny mobile with an engine size of under 1 litre (ish). There is nothing like staring down the bonnet of a Nissan Micra at hundreds of miles of dirt track and foot high rocks. Or driving for 15 hours and only getting 20km then finding out it was in the wrong direction. 

The Mongol Rally is supposed to be an adventure not a guided tour. It's about getting out into the world and discovering it for yourself, so we resolutely refuse to give you a route. 

So far the Mongol Rally alone has raised over £1.5 million pounds for charity. No mean feat we like to think.

As a team on the Mongol Rally we ask you to raise a £1000 for charity at least £500 of which goes to the official Rally charity. Money which makes a massive difference to the lives of some of the poorest people in Mongolia.”

All in all this should take Louise & Ed four weeks!  From everyone here – thanks and good luck!

If you’re interested in taking up this challenge in support of The PCRC contact the events team for more information.

Virgin London Marathon - This Sunday!

Lexi Couchman has been training hard since she was successful in securing a place via the public ballot in the Virgin London Marathon, completing 14 mile runs once a week! 

Not only has she been focused physically but she has also decided to focus her efforts on fundraising for the Prostate Cancer Research Centre while completing this huge challenge.

 

Her support for our charity stems from her father’s experience with the disease. 

In 2009 her father, an extremely active man with no other health problems, started experiencing bowel related symptoms, such as repeated visits to the toilet during the night.  He went to the doctors who, given his apparent good heath, were not concerned and it was only at his insistence during routine tests for over 60’s that they discovered his raised PSA levels.

Things moved fairly quickly after that.  Biopsies were taken and followed up by additional samples and tests after which it was decided that he should have a prostatectomy with the intention of follow up radiotherapy if the results weren’t satisfactory but thankfully his PSA levels have remained low and he is now getting back to normal life.

Lexi told us “His recovery was hard on him as such an active man and at times he was embarrassed about some of the after affects of the disease but he has coped remarkably well and I am happy to say that he is now flying around on his motorbike, bicycle and in general being the happy-go-lucky Dad that I knew from before”

The research we are carrying out at the Prostate Cancer Research Centre is working towards a future without prostate cancer and we couldn’t do it without the help of people like Lexi, so thank you and good luck!

To support Lexi go to http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/LexiCouchman

 

 

My Man Ladies Lunch campaign has launched!

'Women have done a terrific job of bringing breast cancer to the fore; let's do the same for our men!  I'm very proud to be a part of the My Man Ladies Lunch campaign and I am calling on women up and down the country to show their support, get their friends together and organise a Ladies Lunch of their own.  This fantastic cause and our men need us to act.'  Baroness Jan Royall of Blaisdon.                                                                                                            

Baroness Royall, Leader of the Opposition in the House of Lords,  was one of the inspirational women who took part in the launch of our ‘My Man Ladies Lunch’ campaign on Friday 18 March 2011 with its clear objective of empowering the great ladies behind the men who are, all too often, reluctant to discuss their own health.

Guests arrived at the historic Goldsmiths Hall shortly after midday and made their way up the grand stair case, passing the string quartet before being greeted by a gorgeous Butler and handed a glass of champagne.  When asked to take their seats for lunch guests were lead through to the beautiful Drawing Room, where none other than Prince Charles himself had dined the week before, and served a stunning three course lunch.

Dr Heather Payne kicked off the discussion, once coffee’s were served, reminding guests why they there and introducing the panel made up of Baroness Royall, one of the UK’s most successful entrepreneurs; Lara Morgan and the PCRC’s former Director of Fundraising Jane Arnell, who hosted the panel.

Baroness Royall, who lost her husband to prostate cancer only nine months ago, was the first to share her experience and highlight the importance of awareness and testing.  Having lost her father in law to prostate cancer Lara gave an emotional but encouraging message to guests of making a difference where ever you can.  Finally, Max Clifford, who from personal experience, spoke of living, treating and beating the disease and also the importance of putting back into the community and why he thinks this is such an important campaign.

For a more in-depth look at launch and important issues raised during the discussion please visit our website in early May.  The SAE Institute kindly filmed the whole event, including the discussion and one to one interviews with the panelists, for free! Their students will be editing all the footage ready to upload as soon as they have finished their upcoming exams.

All in all the day was a great success enjoyed by all and not only raised over £4000.00 for the charity but also saw our the first of our Ambassadors sign up to the campaign; including Baroness Royall who will be organising her own lunch at The House of Lords!

To request an Ambassador Fundraising Guide  with everything you need to put together your own My Man Ladies Lunch contact Georgina on 0207 679 9595 / gwilson@prostate-cancer-research.org.uk. 

To download the guide and other handy materials please go to www.prostate-cancer-research.org.uk/my-man-campaign

Become an Ambassador! Your charity needs YOU!

The worlds coolest marathon....

We were very pleased when we received the call from Peter van den Berg letting us know he intends on running his first official marathon in support of the Prostate Cancer Research Centre but we were amazed to find out the marathon will be taking place in the North Pole!

Although this is a mammoth challenge by anyone’s standards but Peter is an experience runner and, along with his wife who will be also tackling extreme weather conditions to complete the 26.2 miles, is confident of his success. 

When asked why he has chosen to support our charity Peter said ‘while there is a lot being done to raise awareness for prostate cancer and money being raised for palliative care of sufferers, I think research is a massively overlooked but extremely important area’. 

Statistics show if you live long enough you’ll get prostate cancer.  At 50 years old a man has a 50% chance of being diagnosed with prostate cancer, at 60 years old it’s a 60 % chance, at 70 its 70% and so on.  So if you live long enough you WILL get prostate cancer; hence why our research is so important.

Peter's father is in his 80's and is recovering well from prostate surgery and feels it is a ‘terrible, inconvenient and embarrassing’ affliction to have to deal with in the final decade of his life.  

So thank you Peter, every penny you raise will help fund our research; identifying the changes that make prostate cancer cells grow and spread to other parts of the body, aiming to improve management, develop new treatment and increase the survival of men with prostate cancer.

If you’d like to show your support for Peter please make a donation click here.

For more information on the North Pole Marathon <click here>