Prostate Screening Trust

We would like to thank the customers, staff and management for their tremendous support and for making the Prostate Screening Trust the top community charity.

Derek Mason was presented a cheque by Barbara Stubbs the department manager and Vicky Barree the community matters co-ordinator. Mr Alun Cairns AM and economic spokesman for the Welsh Conservatives was also present and a supporter of the work undertaken by the trust. Mr Cairns praised the scheme and the way it supported local charities and groups.

CABINET WRITTEN STATEMENT

DATE: 13 February 2007

Although there are a number of less common treatments for localised prostate cancer, the main options currently are:

Low dose rate (LDR) Brachytherapy is a form of radiotherapy involving the insertion of between 60 and 120 radioactive seeds into the prostate under ultrasound guidance.

It has advantages over surgery of being less invasive, and can be performed as a day case procedure in a single session under either general or spinal anaesthesia. In comparison to external beam radiotherapy, it is much quicker and can deliver a far higher dose of radiation to prostate with far greater precision than with external beam radiotherapy. The evidence to date suggests that it is a safe and effective procedure with outcomes (in terms of mortality, morbidity and side effects) which are comparable, but no better than, the alternative treatments.

Brachytherapy is designated a specialist service and falls within the commissioning responsibility of Health Commission Wales. Health Commission Wales carried out a review of this treatment during 2006 and in June confirmed that it would commission this service for patients in Wales and would work with Velindre NHS Trust to develop a service based in Wales. In August 2006, however, in the light of increased costs for this treatment from centres in England and other competing pressures and priorities, Health Commission Wales decided it would only fund this treatment for those patients whose treatment had been suspended pending the review and under exceptional circumstances. The other treatment options of radical prostatectomy and wide beam radiotherapy fall within the commissioning remit of the Local Health Boards. However, Health Commission Wales continued to have discussions with stakeholders on providing this service in 2007-2008.

As a result of these discussions, it has been agreed that Health Commission Wales will commission Welsh low dose Brachytherapy services for localised prostate cancer from Velindre NHS Trust. This will ensure that Welsh patients with localised prostate cancer have access to this form of treatment as well as the two other forms of effective treatment for this condition, wide beam radiotherapy and surgery.

A letter of intent, offering revenue funding to Velindre NHS Trust for this purpose has been issued. I have asked that the service is established as quickly as possible. Once start-up arrangements are in place the service will be available before the end of the summer.

Our intention is that Velindre will offer an all-Wales service. Brachytherapy can be provided on an out-patient basis, with assessment and follow-up care provided in the patient’s own locality. Recent changes to Assembly Government rules mean that travelling expenses can be claimed for cancer treatment.

Patients from North Wales will be assessed by their home clinician and referral for treatment can be made either to Velindre or an alternative provider.

Funding for the new service will be made available from the start of the financial year 2007/08. Health Commission Wales will review, individually, those patients whose need for treatment occurs before the Velindre service is available and commission accordingly. In the meantime, no patient will be without treatment for their cancer as the other two forms of effective treatment, wide beam radiotherapy and surgery, are available.

The Action Group would like to acknowledge the support of the Assembly in realising the necessity to bring Wales in line with the rest of the UK for Brachytherapy.

We must thank the healthcare professionals at all levels for their encouragement, support, co-operation and advice on this life threatening illness.

As cancer patient we have never lost the commitment and passion towards achieving this procedure for men in Wales. We thank the media for their coverage which has highlighted the plight of prostate cancer suffers and their families.

We urge men who are about to undergo alternative treatment or have recently been diagnosed to contact their consultants and for confirmation about treatment option.

The action group welcomes immediate action for those men for whom time is critical and welcome Velindre as a centre of excellence.

From the outset with overpowering evidence from twenty six centres throughout the UK, our mission to ensure that this treatment was available to Welsh men has never been in question. Clinical reports from the USA and eminent consultants within major UK treatment centres support the effective holistic approach towards this cancer.

Because of the experience and information gained during this and previous campaigns we will be continuing our fight to improve the services provided to Welsh patients and encourage accountability.

For further information from the action group and independent advice check the following website www.prostatescreeningtrust.co.uk

Reg Williams (Right) with the Brachytherapy team at a English Hospital March 2007. Patients should be prepared to go that extra step and understand the procedures.

All Assembly Members where Emailed at the end of August asking for support. Replies are coming in and interesting developments are being made.

Low Cost Quantitative PSA Testing at the Point-of-Care

We have identified a new testing system that is easy to use. No special training is required and the system is small enough to be used in any location.Therefore making walk-in testing an option while providing professional clinical practice and quality care.

The test works with whole blood from a venous puncture or finger-prick and plasma put the sample into the “test well” and wait 10 minutes for the PSA result.

Urologists, primary care physicians and nurses rely on accurate measurement of PSA for the management of new or recurrent prostate disease. The system measures PSA to one decimal place, in the clinically significant range (0.5 - 25μg/l)

At the Newport City Leisure Centre on Monday 12^th June a booklet was launched specifically for Prostate Cancer symptoms and treatment as an aid to help men understand what to look for and how prostate cancer is currently treated. This event was in partnership with Pillgwenlly Communities First, as part of their Health and Well-being program and the Newport Health Board. The booklet has been produced with the help of Dr Ian Banks, the president of the Men's Health Forum and is the first phase of a Prostate Cancer awareness program to support the prostate screening trust web site. Also on the day publicity material, i.e. beer drip mats, adhesive stickers, book markers and car tax disc holders were available and included the community first logo as sponsors.

Other organizations in attendance and supporting the launch were The Gwent Woman’s Institute, Age Concern and Progress prostate support group. The event chaired by William Graham AM and guest speakers Robert Sage Men’s Health Forum, Dr Tony Calland Chairman of Welsh Council BMA Cymru Wales and Edward Watts representing Edwina Hart Social Justice Minister. The day included workshops to gather feedback from the guests and members of the public and will be used as a working document for the community health and well-being strategic plan;

Pillgwenlly Communities First Local Partnership (Health and Wellbeing Sub-Group) have helped to support the staging of this event to enable us to further develop our understanding of wider health issues in particular Men’s Health issues and to allow us to identify aspects of health we may need to further consult our community about.

We would appreciate your assistance in helping us deliver support for the benefit of our community by working in small groups to consider a number of questions.

A summary will be posted when available and is currently being compiled by the Newport Local Health Board who are also very interested in the comments from the attendees.

Reg Williams is a prostate cancer patient with a mission to raise awareness of the disease among men, and to push for reliable testing and regular screening.

The 57-year-old, who lives in the Chepstow area, received a "tremendous shock" when diagnosed with the disease last summer.

Now he has set up the Prostate Screening Trust to spread the word about the disease, and the trust, a website www.prostatescreeningtrust.co.uk and a prostate cancer guide will be launched at an event at Newport Centre next Monday, June 12.

Mr Williams, who ran a Newport printing business and is secretary of the Pill Community First Local Partnership Board, admits knowing next to nothing about prostate cancer until his diagnosis.

"My wife urged me to get a health check-up and my GP took a PSA (prostate specific antigen) test as part of that," he said.

"My PSA level was 100 and the norm is less than four. I went for more tests and cancer was discovered.

"I don't think enough men know about prostate cancer, the likelihood of getting it, the symptoms, and not enough is being done to fund research into a reliable test.

"The PSA test is all we have and it's not accurate, it is only an indicator. We need a test and I believe we need a screening programme, similar to that for breast cancer, because prostate cancer is on the rise."

Despite feeling fit and well prior to his health check, Mr Williams subsequently discovered his cancer had spread to surrounding soft tissues and a few cells were detected in his bones.

He is currently on a combination of hormone and drug treatment and has improved his diet.

"I feel really well, but I was a year to 18 months late in diagnosis and my prognosis is five years," he said.