Prostate Cancer Research has announced the creation of a new website for people affected by prostate cancer. Prostate Cancer Research is collecting hundreds of real stories and experiences from people who have been affected by prostate cancer which will be at the heart of this new website, ‘The Infopool’.
John Marshall is a prostate cancer patient and survivor. He is a member of the NCRI Consumer Forum and has supported NCRI Partners Prostate Cancer Research and Prostate Cancer UK as a patient advocate. Here, he shares his experiences, including contributing to The Infopool project.
I am a 75-year-old retired engineer and grandfather from Bolton. I was diagnosed with Prostate Cancer in late 2006 and treated with Brachytherapy (a form of radiation therapy) and a short three-month course of hormone treatment in early 2006 at The Christie in Manchester. Since then, I have been disease-free.
I was lucky that the prostate cancer was detected only because my Terms of Employment included an annual medical. When I was 51, they gave me a PSA Test and immediately discovered I had an elevated level. There followed some eight years of monitoring by my local hospital leading to a final diagnosis. Had I not had these medicals, having no symptoms, I would probably be dead now. My father, a maternal uncle, and both my grandfathers had prostate cancer, but I was unaware of the genetic linkage to prostate cancer then.
That is why I became so passionate about getting involved to try and ensure the element of luck is eliminated and that men and their families understand their risks and options. I got involved as a patient in many different forms with different charities, universities and the NHS. I believe it is so important to give back and have others benefit from your experiences., I have been involved with NCRI through two of its Partners, Prostate Cancer Research and Prostate Cancer UK and directly in helping with the first NCRI Cancer Conference in Glasgow. I have enjoyed being able to help and to work on a team with some brilliant healthcare professionals to assess the research and make sure that it genuinely benefits patients.
I believe that Prostate Cancer Research’s new project, The Infopool, is vital. So many men do not understand they have a choice of treatment, nor what those choices are. The time of diagnosis is not good for taking in options and negotiating the best for them. I am keen to work with other patients and family members to bring our collective experience to help inform patients and clinicians to improve the prostate cancer journey. The Infopool is so important to this, and I cannot recommend it highly enough to others affected by this disease to get involved too.
If you have been affected by prostate cancer you can help by sharing your experience.
Your experience will help newly diagnosed people better understand the effects of treatment and make better choices.
To find out how you can help go to www.TheInfopool.com