Case Study

Rory

Name: Rory
Age: 40
Occupation: Teacher; advisory service to families of young deaf children.
Marital Status: Married
Children: two boys (11& 7)

Background

Rory is just forty years old and has already successfully beaten prostate cancer twice. He admits to ignoring the symptoms at first, which were erectile dysfunction and increased need to urinate, but eventually decided to talk to his GP in March 2007 who on examination discovered a ‘nodule’ on the prostate and then advised Rory to have a PSA test. He was then referred to a Urologist via the ‘Choose & Book scheme’ which allows you four choices of Consultant. Rory chose UCH in central London. In June 2007 the Urology Registrar sent Rory for an MRI scan in response to the high PSA score received for his profile of age (3.6). The results of the MRI scan came back in August and he was given the all clear. A review in November showed his PSA level had increased to 4.8 and five days later he was in hospital having a biopsy.

Another five days later Rory received a phone call while he was at work asking him to go to the hospital and speak with a consultant, he knew then that conversation would be to confirm the fact that he had prostate cancer and asked for what his options would be so he could think about those before he met with someone.

Rory’s initial reaction was shock, but he received a great deal of support from his wife and family, and knew that with the treatment and support he would receive at UCH that he had a strong chance of achieving his goal of good health and retaining a normal family life.

When he met with Mr Emberton it was explained that the MRI had not been read properly, they had re-read it and found cancerous cells in two places within the prostate, this information combined with the biopsy results showed very clearly that he had prostate cancer.

Rory was advised that there were a number of treatment options available to him such as hifu and brachyththerapy, Rory asked which would be best option in his case and was told that a laparoscopic radical prostatectomy (keyhole surgery to remove the prostate) was the favoured option, and that he needed a different surgeon, who had the specific expertise for this: Mr H Patel. Rory felt at ease with Mr Patel because he explained everything so clearly and patiently, and they found out that they are the same age and both are fathers of young children. Rory was Mr Patel’s youngest prostate cancer patient at the time. The surgery took place four weeks later (usually its within two weeks but in Rory’s case they waited for the biopsy to settle first). The Surgery was successful and after one night in the hospital Rory went home to recover. The recovery took about six weeks altogether, and because Mr Patel successfully spared some nerve function Rory was able to keep bladder control, and kept erectile function (with some assistance from the drug Cialis).

Since then Rory has been closely monitored under the care of Dr Heather Payne, Consultant in Clinical Oncology, – who is also a trustee of the charity. She decided to conduct regular psa tests – about once every six weeks, to make sure that it wasn’t rising. She prepared Rory for the fact that if it did rise the plan would be to use combined hormone and radiotherapy to kill off any residual cancer cells. In October 2008 Rory received the call telling him that they had found there to be cancerous cells remaining through psa rising and so they decided to crack on with the treatment that had been agreed on already which was to begin a two year course of the drug Casodex and a six and a half week course of external beam radiotherapy.

The radiotherapy also took place at UCH and went well, Rory worked half days for the first three weeks, and then stopped because there is a gradual build up of tiredness.

The hormone treatment is going well and is being closely monitored by Dr Payne. Since last September there has been no psa score at all in the regular tests that have taken place. Rory said;

“You always think it will happen to someone else, there was a definite shock period of two to three months but thanks to the support of staff at UCH my family and I now have a positive outlook on the future”.