06 Feb Prost8 Partners with Jeremy Vine Show for Groundbreaking Live Health Check
Prost8, a leading prostate cancer charity, made a significant breakthrough in public health education by collaborating with the Jeremy Vine show on Channel 5. The show, which aired last Monday, focused on prostate health in light of the King’s benign enlarged prostate condition.
In a pioneering move, the program featured a live Digital Rectal Examination (DRE) performed by Dr. Philippa Kaye. Charity supporter Nick Payne bravely underwent the examination on air to bring critical awareness to prostate cancer screening.
Nick Payne, a 63-year-old from Leigh on Sea, Essex, and owner of a commercial video company, shared his story: despite having a PSA test, he was not offered a DRE by his GP. His participation in this live health check was a powerful statement about the importance of comprehensive prostate cancer screening.
Prost8’s mission is to encourage men to get checked and to educate them about the best patient journey, especially for those with low to medium grade cancer. The charity advocates for low-impact focal treatments such as High-Intensity Focused Ultrasound (HIFU) treatment, a less invasive option that allows patients to maintain their quality of life post-treatment due to it being a scalpel-free treatment involving ultrasound beams that accurately blast tumour cells.
Paul Sayer, founder of Prost8 and a prostate cancer survivor, received HIFU treatment in 2018. His positive experience with HIFU, which resulted in minimal side effects compared to traditional treatments which can be life changing, inspired him to establish Prost8 UK. The charity aims to make HIFU treatment more accessible across the UK.
His experience, which reflects a significant reduction in the risk of life-altering side effects like erectile dysfunction and incontinence which men undergoing surgery might face was a catalyst for his mission and offers hope for the 51% of men diagnosed with early to intermediate-grade prostate cancer and the 12,000 annually who risk being effectively over-treated.
Staggering statistics around prostate cancer in Brits underscore the importance of Prost8’s work:
1 in 8 men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer.
1 in 4 black men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer.
500,000 new diagnoses of prostate cancer are expected in the next 10 years.
1 man is diagnosed every 11 minutes and one dies every 45 minutes from prostate cancer.
And it can affect anyone: while a third of patients with the disease are over 75, the incidence has increased six-fold in men aged 50-plus in the past 20 years. Prostate cancer now accounts for a quarter of all male cancer cases in the UK, making it the most common form with the risk of a diagnosis increased with a family history of the disease.
Prost8’s collaboration with the Jeremy Vine show is a significant step in raising awareness and promoting early detection and effective treatment of prostate cancer.
With about 48,000 men diagnosed each year in Britain, Prost8’s advocacy for minimally invasive focal treatment options is vital. This collaboration with the Jeremy Vine show is a significant step in raising awareness and promoting early detection and emphasises the importance of avoiding unnecessary overtreatment.
