Derek Taylor
When I returned to live in my native South Wales in 2005, the parting shot of my then GP was that I should have a PSA test within a year. This proved to be easier than I expected.
On registering with a new GP I raised the question and was immediately examined. This led quickly to my referral to the local general hospital, where a PSA test and biopsy confirmed a diagnosis of prostate cancer. Initially I was alarmed but felt less so after very informative discussions in which the options were clearly presented to me. I decided on intervention in the form of hormone treatment followed by radiotherapy. The hormone injections started immediately and lasted several months. Then after an interval of a few months, I underwent twenty sessions of radiotherapy at a nearby regional cancer treatment centre.
Looking back I can assess what few side effects there were from this treatment. True, the hormone treatment did give me hot flushes and a small amount of unwanted weight gain. On the other hand, the radiotherapy had little discernible effect. The hot flushes eventually subsided and the first review after the radiotherapy was satisfactory with a good prognosis.
I have no way of knowing how the investigation and treatment I received compares with what is available elsewhere, but I am extremely grateful for the NHS resources that gave me such early and relevant attention. At no stage did I feel ill or have to suspend my normal daily activities. Within a month of completing my treatment I had resumed my hobby of hill-walking (there is plenty of opportunity in South Wales), and before the end of the year I took a four week holiday in New Zealand that included some strenuous walking.