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Prostate Cancer

Interview 45

Age at interview: 55
Age at diagnosis: 51
Brief Outline: Diagnosed with prostate cancer 1997, TURP and external beam radiation 1997, vaccine trial, hormones.
Background:

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Comments that grief in his personal life and working with electronics may have had some effect.

Comments that grief in his personal life and working with electronics may have had some effect.

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Yes, yes I've worked all my life with electronic equipment which emits a large amounts of electro static and electro magnetic emissions from it which I suspect may be a cause. And also back in 92 when my daughter died that affected me very, very deeply indeed and I think there possibly comes a time in your life when something like that happens you become very, very vulnerable to something going wrong in your body, in your system, your immune system may be doesn't may be work as well as what it should do or it doesn't pick up a rogue cancer cell here and there which it normally should. And I think a combination of the two looking back now is possibly what caused my illness, but that's only a theory, I can't prove any of that.

 

Describes his experiences of PSA testing and how he had been told it was unreliable.

Describes his experiences of PSA testing and how he had been told it was unreliable.

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It was basically explained to me to see why the urinary flow was so slow in the mornings. It didn't affect me at any other time during the day but certainly it did in the morning. The surgeon that I saw at the time basically said to me 'There's nothing at all wrong with you that we can find,' and they put it down to an emotional problem because prior to that, a year or so prior to that I'd lost my oldest daughter, she'd died. After leaving the hospital, it must've been a week or two later, I went back to the GP who confirmed the hospital's results but did point out that my PSA reading was about the 4 mark, but said in the same sentence &..

Was what the mark?

About 4, about a level of 4. Now PSA at that time meant nothing to me and being rather naive I didn't ask him to explain the significance of PSA. But he did say it was a totally unreliable form of test and it wasn't worth thinking about, gave me some tablets for prostatitis I think.

 

Considers how beneficial groups are for relaying information.

Considers how beneficial groups are for relaying information.

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And I think more has come to light through people sharing experiences, than what any information we ever got from urologists or oncologists in the hospital itself. They seem to lack the ability to impart any other information than what they deemed necessary for you and then giving you no options on that system. Now we know there are options and it's made a big, big difference, certainly to me. The main benefit I've received has actually been referred down to a hospital in London where they have a totally different attitude to the problem, and encourage you to go along and hopefully get well again whereas locally they say 'Well you know tough but that's the end of the line.' I come down here now quite regularly and even though some of the treatments I've had have not worked I still come away encouraged and that to me for anyone suffering from any form of cancer is a major benefit to anyone, it's terrific.

 

Highlights how dramatically the hormone treatment reduced his PSA level.

Highlights how dramatically the hormone treatment reduced his PSA level.

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But again the medical profession in London still gave me enormous encouragement and I was immediately referred to an oncologist who started me off on another treatment which has brought my PSA levels down dramatically.

So what is this treatment?

This is just basic old fashioned hormone treatment which has got my PSA levels down from over 2,000 to now 300 and something which is still extraordinarily high level but appreciably less than what it was. And they intend to continue to do that with me and as long as I show signs of reduction I'll continue with that form of treatment. But with the understanding that it will turn around and go the other way again, but that they have got several new irons in the fire and they're perfectly willing to give things a try because I'm perfectly willing to try anything to get out of the woods. And I come away from there every time encouraged, I find them great. And the latest one I think they mentioned today if my PSA starts to rise again I may even be put on Thalidomide.

 

Describes the process and the checks made to see if he was eligible for a vaccine trial

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Describes the process and the checks made to see if he was eligible for a vaccine trial

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When I arrived in London it was explained to me first that I would have to undergo a few tests to see if I'd be eligible for the trial, medically eligible. This took place over about an 8 week period, I was attending twice a month for certainly 3 months.

So you were coming down each time?

I was coming down each time, having the various tests and examinations to see if I'd be a suitable candidate. Fortunately I was a suitable candidate and then began a course of injections of a cancerous substance which was taken from prostate cancer and immortalised.

From human?

From human prostate cancer cells

Yes

It was described it was immortalised which it was explained to me that it was made perfectly safe for injecting into people and it consisted of having four injections in the lymph nodes sites once per month.

Were the lymph node sites which you had, were they already affected?

Not as far as I'm aware no... This was 4 lymph node sites, 2 in the abdomen and 1 under each arm, or in that vicinity. 

Was it explained to you why the injections were into the nodes?

Well they basically wanted to get it into the lymphatic system, I suppose to get it around the body as quickly as possible and see if antibodies would be produced and sure enough they were. But unfortunately after a few months my PSA level had risen so high that the consultant at the time decided it would be pointless me continuing with this trial any further. 

Can I ask you something about the vaccine, when it was first explained to you did you have any qualms about it?

No qualms whatsoever no.

You didn't feel uncomfortable about?

No not at all, not at all, may be it's because of my background in electronics and physics and engineering I tend to look more to the latest technologies rather than the homeopathic or herbal remedies that's bandied about. I look for the latest and the greatest, hopefully it's going to be the latest and the greatest anyway.
 
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