SUPPORT BY OUR GROUP

Our group aims to provide post-diagnosis support for men and their families.  We do this in the following ways:

1.      Information    

On diagnosis at Leighton Hospital, men are given a leaflet about our group which extends an invitation to join us and attend our meetings. Click here  to see the leaflet.

Another information source, recommended by a member at our March 2019 meeting, is the Prostate Cancer Patient Guide, produced by the USA organization the Prostate Cancer Foundation. You can see a list of this and other guides produced by the Prostate Cancer Foundation that you can download at https://www.pcf.org/guide/. If you just want to view the 2019 version of the Prostate Cancer Patient Guide, this link should work.

In his Chairman's Report at our September 2019 Group Meeting, David Laundon mentioned a document published by the PCF (Prostate Cancer Federation – based in Santa Monica) called Science of Living Well Beyond Cancer. You can download and read this document here. 

Following the talk and presentation at our March 2019 Group Meeting by Mr Vincent Tang, Consultant Urologist, he has kindly sent us some links which may be useful: 

• Prostate Cancer Decision aid for Early-stage patients

http://decisionhelp.qcancercare.com

• Prostate Cancer Risk Trial Calculator

http://myprostatecancerrisk.com

• ERSPC calculator

http://www.prostatecancer-riskcalculator.com

• MSKCC

https://www.mskcc.org/nomograms/prostat

2.      Meetings       

All are welcome to attend our bi-monthly Saturday morning meetings at Leighton Hospital.  Meetings are held in the Postgraduate which is located in the near right-hand corner as you enter car park A off Entrance 1 (Main entrance). For further directions, you can download a site plan of Leighton Hospital from their NHS website at http://mcht.nhs.uk/information-for-patients/hospital-maps/. 

The meeting agenda typically includes the Chairman's update on group progress, arrangements for social activities and PSA Testing, possibly a talk by a guest speaker and a chance to chat with other members. There is always a raffle to help raise funds for our development activities and some meetings are followed by a buffet lunch. You can see details of the next few events, including Group Meetings, in the purple box on the right of this screen. See Calendar for a list of all future event dates. 

3.      Advice       

Many members are happy to offer you the benefit of their experiences in treatment, side effects, medications etc. on a one-to-one basis. Some have published their own story of Prostate Cancer on the Members' Prostate Cancer Experiences page of this website. You may find a story that helps you at your own current stage of treatment. If you need further support, a Helpline is also available through Prostate Cancer Support on 0800 035 5302.

One of our members, Robin Creed, has written a short page describing the different devices that are available to men suffering urinary incontinence following treatment for Prostate Cancer. Click here to see the page.

With the holiday season coming up, Prostate Cancer UK have published an updated version of their leaflet Travel and Prostate Cancer which is now available to order and download  online.  The new version includes:

• • more information on finding suitable travel insurance
  • an updated travel timeline
  • vaccine information for men who are having/have recently had chemotherapy
  • more practical tips to help men look after themselves while abroad. 

The web content will be updated over the next few weeks.

4.      PALs

The PAL’s initiative is all about communicating with each other, this will show both the differences and similarities of Prostate Cancer. PALs will not be for everybody, but it’s an opportunity for the group to have a record of as many individual members' symptoms and if needed put members together to have that important conversation. If anyone has any questions regarding the PAL’s initiative please do not hesitate to contact me. 

If interested in joining, you can download a PALs questionnaire here.

Thank you.

Keith Mahoney

Tel: 01270 627510     Email:  Click here