Surgeon who gets on his bike for his cause
Urologist Andrew Thomas co-founded a charity to help improve Welsh prostate cancer survival statistics and increase understanding of the disease. Mark Smith reports
Asurgeon who co-founded a successful charity with former patient Ray Murray says far greater awareness is needed of one of Wales’ most common cancers in men.
Andrew Thomas, who is one of a team of seven Nuffield Health consultant urological surgeons, claims the nation’s understanding of prostate cancer awareness needs to improve.
To help increase the public’s knowledge of the disease and improve treatment, the 51-year-old decided to set up the medical charity Prostate Cymru – formerly called GLAZE – 12 years ago.
Its aim was to ensure that Welsh men suffering with prostate diseases would have access to the best available treatments from the NHS in Wales.
The dad-of-three, who has lived in Welsh St Donats, near Cowbridge, for the last 18 years, said: “Much greater awareness is needed about prostate cancer, which is the most common cancer in British men.
“Prostate cancer is 17% more common in Welsh compared to English men.
“Every year in Wales, 2,470 men are diagnosed and 550 men will die of prostate cancer.
“Our goal at Prostate Cymru is to improve Welsh prostate health all across the country and improve equipment, training staff and raise the nation’s understanding of prostate disease.”
The former rugby player, who was a former star for Cardiff Medicals and Clwb Rygbi Cymry Caerdydd, has taken part in a number of daredevil charity events to raise funds for Prostate Cymru.
In 2013 he went on a Five Volcano Expedition in Ecuador to raise money for robotic surgery for prostate cancer treatment in Wales.
This year he cycled 500 miles from Haverfordwest to Paris with 13 others, raising more than £4,000 individually for Prostate Cymru Charitable Trust – with the team topping £40,000 in total.
In 2016 he plans to lead a group of 50 sponsored cyclists from Barcelona to Monaco via Spain, France, Italy and Monaco.
He added: “Prostate Cymru is a very welcoming organisation which has a number of local events going on at all times, from coffee mornings and social occasions to sports events and challenges. “Why not join us?” Qualifying in 1987 from The University Of Wales College of Medicine in Cardiff, his urological training was carried out in South Wales. He then spent a year of sub-specialist training in Adelaide, South Australia.
For the last 12 years he has run an NHS training centre at Bridgend teaching doctors from all over the UK the technique of green light laser prostate surgery, and he has led an international study comparing green light laser with traditional forms of treatment.
He was also one of the first Welsh surgeons to perform laparoscopic removal of the kidney.