ACTIVE SURVEILLANCE FILLED ME WITH FEAR

GERALD CAPON, 71, a retired lawyer, lives in West Sussex with his wife valerie, 69. The couple have two daughters and four granddaughters. WHEN I turned 60, I asked my GP for a PSA test as I wanted to be on the safe side.

My PSA levels were slightly raised, but the GP said this could be a result of many factors, such as infection — not necessarily cancer. So he asked me to come back in six months.

I was shocked to find that when I returned, my PSA level had shot up and was now three times higher than it should be. I was referred to a urologist and the results of scans and biopsies revealed cancer in both sides of my prostate.

They said the disease was still at an early stage so I could stay on active surveillance. But after discussing it with my wife, I thought: ‘I don’t want to live with this hanging over me.’ Active surveillance filled me with fear, but the treatment options also had risks.

I was fit and healthy. I have young grandchildren whom I love running around after, and I didn’t want that to change. So, when I was told I might be eligible for a trial of a new drug that kills cancer cells when activated by light shone on the prostate, I went for it. The treatment lasts 20 minutes, had a quick recovery time and a low risk of erectile dysfunction and incontinence as the nerves surrounding the prostate aren’t damaged.

I had the first procedure in summer 2011 and was home the next day, feeling sore. I had to have two sessions — the second one six months later.

Checks have revealed no lasting side-effects — and PSA tests since then have shown my levels are now within the normal range.

Active surveillance wasn’t for me, and men should know there are often breakthrough treatments that are less risky than surgery.