A 73-year-old man has thanked staff at Lancashire Teaching Hospitals after marking the end of his cancer treatment on the same day the department celebrated 25 years of delivering a radiotherapy service.
Philip Eddleston, from Blackburn, was diagnosed with prostate cancer in October 2021 – which affects the small gland in the pelvis and is part of the male reproductive system.
Marking the end of a 20 day (four-week) course of radiotherapy at the Cancer Centre at Royal Preston Hospital today (Thursday 24th February 2022), Philip said: “I’m very happy to have completed my course of radiotherapy. The staff have been wonderful and have always made me feel very welcome, which has meant I have never been frightened. In some ways it has been a delightful experience. For anybody else who is going to go on a similar journey, please do not worry.”
Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men and 1/8 will be diagnosed with the condition. If caught early, some cases of prostate cancer can be cured and treated through surgery and radiotherapy.
New figures released by NHS England recently show that prostate cancer accounts for a third of those not treated for cancer before the pandemic and there around 14,000 undiagnosed men who have not yet come forward for a diagnosis and started urgent treatment.
Early prostate cancer often displays no symptoms, and Tracey Ellis, Consultant Therapeutic Radiographer, Clinical Director at Lancashire Teaching Hospitals, is emphasising the importance to know about the increased risk: “If you notice a change with your bladder and are concerned, please don’t assume it’s nothing and delay seeking help.
“Please speak to your GP or a healthcare professional, or refer to the Prostate Cancer UK risk checker online – it’s important to check your risk.”
Lancashire Teaching Hospitals has been a delivering a radiotherapy service since 1997 and today the department provides external beam radiotherapy for the whole adult population of Lancashire and South Cumbria and has continued to diagnose and treat the public throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.
Gillian Clarkson, Radiotherapy Service Manager at Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, said: “Despite the pandemic, cancer services remain open and our staff are committed to delivering the best possible outcomes for cancer patients.
“If you have any unusual signs or symptoms which relate to cancer, please don’t delay seeking help. In most cases it won’t be cancer, but not getting checked could lead to serious health complications.”
