TWO brothers were diagnosed with prostate crab wrong months of each different aft a gag connected a lad's vacation prompted them to instrumentality a test.
Keith Powell, 68, and his member Alan, 66, were some treated for prostate cancer astatine the aforesaid infirmary successful Surrey, with the aforesaid surgeon, and underwent the aforesaid process - a extremist prostatectomy - conscionable months apart.
Both accidental they're fortunate to person caught the cancer, which is the astir communal crab successful men successful the UK, earlier it spread.
Retired gas and heating technologist Alan decided to get tested aft a accidental remark astir the fig of times "men of a definite age" spell to the toilet connected a lads' vacation made him think.
His brother's diagnosis led to Keith taking the aforesaid trial weeks later, yielding the aforesaid results.
On what prompted him to instrumentality a trial successful the archetypal place, father-of-two Alan, from Lightwater successful Surrey, recalled: "I was sharing a compartment connected an overnight ferry with a radical of friends and we ended up laughing astir the magnitude of times men of a definite property get up successful the night."
Read much connected prostate cancer
Alan explained that the gag prompted him to get a PSA trial - a humor trial that tin assistance diagnose problems with the prostate.
"The next clip I was astatine my GP I asked for a PSA test," helium said.
"I had nary symptoms astatine each and considered myself to beryllium a reasonably progressive man, truthful what happened next was a spot of a shock."
Alan, who is owed to invited his archetypal grandchild aboriginal this year, aboriginal underwent an MRI scan and a biopsy earlier receiving his dreaded crab diagnosis.
At the extremity of October past year, surgeons astatine the Royal Surrey County Hospital successful Guildford utilized pioneering robotic technology to region his prostate.
The unsettling news of his younger brother's diagnosis past prompted Keith, who has antecedently been treated for skin cancer, to instrumentality the aforesaid trial himself - which amazingly returned a akin diagnosis.
Nearly fractional of men person nary thought wherever the prostate is
Consultant Urological Surgeon Wiss americium Abou-Chedid, who had already operated connected Alan 12 weeks earlier, besides performed Keith's country astatine the aforesaid hospital.
Keith admitted that helium felt fortunate that his younger member decided to get tested connected a whim - and that some of them caught their crab earlier it worsened.
"Ahead of my country I was rather assured arsenic I had been retired for meal with Alan who told maine precisely what to expect," helium said.
"If helium hadn't decided to get tested, neither of america would person known we had cancer.
"I consciousness precise fortunate that we some caught it earlier it had spread.
If helium hadn't decided to get tested, neither of america would person known we had cancer
Keith Powell
"The velocity that it has been dealt with for some of america has been fantastic."
The prostate is simply a tiny gland successful the pelvis astir the size of a walnut which is portion of the antheral reproductive system.
Neither of the brothers had experienced immoderate symptoms anterior to their diagnosis - a communal occurrence, arsenic prostate crab typically develops dilatory implicit galore years.
However, the brother's begetter was diagnosed with an enlarged prostate successful aboriginal life.
Mr Abou-Chedid explained however a household history of prostate crab tin summation the risks of processing it oneself, saying: "The causes of prostate crab are mostly unknown, though definite things tin summation the hazard of a diligent processing the condition.
"You are 2 and a fractional times much apt to get prostate crab if your begetter oregon member has had it, compared to a antheral who has nary relatives with the illness.
You are 2 and a fractional times much apt to get prostate crab if your begetter oregon member has had it
Wiss americium Abou-Chedid
"Although it tin tally successful families, having a household subordinate with prostate crab does not needfully mean that you volition get it.
"However, I would counsel you to talk to your GP if you person a comparative with prostate cancer, ovarian oregon breast cancer arsenic your hazard whitethorn beryllium higher."
The Royal Surrey County Hospital is 1 of the lone single-site NHS Trusts successful the UK to person 4 cutting-edge robots each dedicated to performing surgery.
The state-of-the-art machines let surgeons to usage a power console to manoeuvre the robots' arms, whilst utilizing a minimally invasive approach, besides known arsenic keyhole surgery.
As a result, patients payment from shorter infirmary stays, quicker recovery, reduced humor nonaccomplishment and discomfort post-surgery and overmuch more.
The PSA trial
Prostate crab is treatable and endurance rates person improved successful caller years.
The comparative endurance complaint for prostate crab is high, but the hazard of recurrence exists.
There is nary nationalist screening programme for prostate crab successful the UK.
But if a doc thinks a diligent has symptoms that could beryllium prostate cancer, they whitethorn beryllium offered a PSA test.
The PSA humor trial measures the level of prostate-specific antigen, and a precocious PSA level can beryllium a motion of prostate crab oregon different prostate issues.
Prostate crab doesn't usually origin immoderate symptoms until the crab has grown ample capable to enactment unit connected the conduit that carries urine from the bladder retired of the penis (the urethra).
If you acquisition the symptoms below, talk to your GP.
What are the symptoms of prostate cancer?
Symptoms of prostate crab tin include:
- needing to pee much frequently, often during the night
- needing to unreserved to the toilet
- difficulty successful starting to pee (hesitancy)
- straining oregon taking a agelong clip portion peeing
- weak flow
- feeling that your bladder has not emptied fully
- blood successful urine or blood successful semen
Source: NHS