Prost8 UK was formed in 2019 to address the fact that far too many men are being overtreated for medium-grade prostate cancer when there are world-leading minimally invasive treatments available in the NHS right now.
There are some remarkable medical advances happening in prostate cancer right now and as a result, 1000’s more men with prostate cancer can live longer and have better lifestyle outcomes. Sadly, as things stand, these new minimally invasive treatment options, such as Focal Ablation, are not being made available fast enough in the UK.
That is why the Prost8 UK charity was formed to ensure that men with a low to medium grade prostate cancer diagnosis (or even those with just concerns) have access to the very best treatment options and resources.
Our mission is to enhance men’s lives by focusing on three key objectives: encourage early symptom recognition,
facilitate easier and more accurate screening and expand access to less invasive treatment options.
Our charitable aims revolve around improving men’s overall well-being through earlier screening, better treatments, and a higher quality of life post-treatment.
“As the founder of Prost8 UK, I am fortunate to have experienced the groundbreaking future of prostate cancer treatment firsthand.
Instead of opting for radical treatment methods, I discovered a dedicated team at Imperial College Hospital, working at the forefront of prostate cancer care. They treated my cancer with a remarkable focal treatment called HIFU (high-intensity focal ultrasound). This choice allowed me to resume a normal lifestyle after treatment, for which I am immensely grateful.
As a result, I launched Prost8 UK, a charity dedicated to championing the work of teams like those at Imperial College and elsewhere, ensuring all men have access to the same treatment I had.
We are raising funds to buy and deploy the equipment needed to offer minimally invasive treatments in NHS hospitals across the UK. This will potentially provide thousands of men who are diagnosed with early-stage prostate cancer with better treatment and a better lifestyle outcome afterwards”.
Prostate cancer treatment has undergone significant advancements in recent years, ranging from HIFU to cryotherapy and electroporation. However, despite these newer and less invasive options, known as focal treatments, being available on the NHS, many men are not being offered them. This has resulted in thousands of suitable men being overtreated every year, particularly those with low to medium-grade prostate cancer diagnoses, leading to debilitating side effects.
Focal treatments involve targeting only the cancerous part of the prostate gland, leaving the healthy tissue intact. This approach can be more effective than radical treatments such as surgery or radiotherapy, which can damage healthy tissue surrounding the prostate gland. Focal treatments also reduce the chance of side effects such as urinary incontinence and erectile dysfunction.
Focal treatments have emerged as an alternative to traditional prostate cancer treatments, providing better lifestyle outcomes for men with a low to medium-grade cancer diagnoses. Cryotherapy uses freezing temperatures, HIFU uses non-invasive high-frequency sound waves, and electroporation uses electrical pulses to destroy just the cancerous tissue.
These treatments have a significantly shorter recovery time, enabling men to return to normal activities within a few days post-procedure. Compared to radical treatments, focal offers minimal side effects, preserving manhood and dignity.
We are using donations to purchase and deploy focal treatment units in NHS hospitals across the UK. These equipment suites have an approximate cost of £300K each. Our dedicated fundraising endeavours aim to bridge the gap left by the current inability of the NHS to provide essential support. Esteemed professors from Guy’s and St. Thomas’ Hospital and University College London Hospital are lending their support to enable us to offer less invasive treatments to men diagnosed with prostate cancer.
Thanks to the success of our fundraising events, we have been able to put a significant number of the 12,000 men, who would have otherwise undergone unnecessary radical treatments, through focal therapy.
