GATWICK PARK OFFERS RADICAL NEW PROSTATE CANCER TEST
Men in the South East to have access to new generation gene test for prostate cancer
A new test for prostate cancer, which could potentially save thousands of lives a year and which should transform the way the disease is detected, is now available at the South East’s leading centre for prostate cancer; The HIFU Clinic at Spire Gatwick Park Hospital.
The new genetic test which is carried out on a urine sample was recently launched in the UK by Bostwick Laboratories® and unlike other tests it only involves one examination as opposed to annual repeats. The test is particularly recommended for men who have a family history of the cancer, as chances of developing the disease are doubled for those who have had a relative diagnosed with prostate cancer. The risk is even higher for those who have a brother with the disease, at just under 3 times the average risk.
The standard tool for detection of the disease at the moment is the PSA test, which looks at raised levels of protein in the blood that leaks out of the prostate gland.
However the new test, known as PCA3Plus, is much more accurate than current testing methods which have been criticised in the past by the NHS for giving a high rate of alarming false results. The gene in question, PCA3, which was first identified ten years ago, is only found in the prostate and increases by an average 34 times when a cancer develops.
Top urologist Mr. Paul Miller who runs The HIFU Clinic at the hospital believes the new test is more effective than the more commonly available PSA (Prostate Specific Antigen) test; “The PSA test can sometimes provide misleading results, but the PCA3Plus test is much more specific. I think it will transform the diagnosis of prostate cancer because following a raised PSA level, it will help doctors decide whether or not to proceed with multiple biopsies which are painful and can have unwanted side effects. It is particularly important that men who are at increased risk, such as those who have a family history of the disease are encouraged to get tested. This new test will allow doctors to pick up cancer at an early stage resulting in more men being treated with the latest, minimally invasive treatment options such as HIFU.”
High intensity focused ultra sound (HIFU) is the latest robotic surgery for men diagnosed with early stages of prostate cancer. The groundbreaking ultrasound therapy has been shown to kill nine out of 10 prostate tumours, and five years after treatment, 80 per cent of patients show no sign of the cancer recurring.
Notes to editors:
The HIFU clinic which is based at the Spire Gatwick Park Hospital treats patients from all over the world, is a pioneering centre for prostate cancer offering the latest minimally invasive surgery.
The hospital has a long history of introducing new advanced surgical procedures and diagnostic technology resulting in patients having the best treatment options for prostate cancer surgery available to them.
Mr Paul Miller is one of few surgeons in UK with extensive experience in treating prostate cancer by both open and HIFU techniques. He is currently training surgeons from across the UK in new surgical techniques for treatments of prostate cancer.
HIFU, high intensity focused ultrasound is a less invasive alternative to traditional surgery. This therapy is available as a therapeutic option and has the advantages of a non-invasive treatment, precise local treatment in one session, repeatable if necessary with a short period of hospitalization and a low complication rate. Unlike some other minimally invasive treatments other options are still open after HIFU therapy, if needed.
This treatment is recommended for patients with localized cancer (stage T1-T2) who are not candidates for a prostatectomy (because of their age, their general condition or a concomitant disease) and patients who want an alternative to radical surgery. Additionally, this treatment can be used for patients who have local recurrence after external radiotherapy (“salvage” treatment).
Click here for Mr Paul Miller's profile
