Published 21 November 2022
A grandfather who had potentially life-saving surgery for prostate cancer said it felt like winning the lottery.
Malcolm Cole had his prostate removed in a procedure using the surgical robot at the Kent and Canterbury Hospital, and is now encouraging other men to talk to their GP about a PSA blood test to check on the health of their prostate.
November is men’s health awareness month and Mr Cole, 68, who lives near Dover, said it was the perfect opportunity to talk about prostate issues.
He said: “I only saw my GP thanks to my wife, who kept nagging me about it. So it’s thanks to her, as well as the surgeon Sashi Kommu and the whole team, that I am still here.
“When I was told I had prostate cancer, I knew I wanted the whole thing taken out and I started to do some research.
“When I read about robotic surgery I thought that sounded perfect, but I thought it would be hundreds of miles away.
“To discover I could have the operation in Canterbury was fantastic, and to have Mr Kommu – who trains other people in robotic procedures – as my surgeon felt like winning the lottery.”
The former carpenter, who has three children and seven grandchildren, had surgery in July and was able to go home the next day.
He said: “Mr Kommu has probably saved my life. Had he not operated when he did, the cancer may have spread.
“Thanks to him, and the whole team, I have got my life back, my wife has got her husband still, my kids have still got their dad and my grandchildren have still got their ‘gangan’.
“My cancer was first picked up on a PSA test, then I had a biopsy, so I always say to people if you know any men over the age of 50 tell them to ring their doctor and ask about a PSA test. It could save their life.”
Mr Kommu, who is a consultant urological robotic surgeon with East Kent Hospitals, said: “Here in the UK, around one in eight men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer in their lifetime.
“Though we don’t know what exactly causes it, we know that there are three main risk factors for getting prostate cancer: increasing age, family history of prostate cancer and being of black ethnicity.
“Men who fall into these categories or have symptoms are encouraged to contact their GP. A blood test called PSA can be done and could help diagnose prostate cancer early.
“Mr Cole was able to access a PSA test via his GP and this led to a rapid referral leading to treatment when the cancer was in a curable stage and can now enjoy a potentially normal lifespan.
“He was kind enough to share his story with some of our medical students and it really demonstrated that he is not just a prostate or a number on the surgery list – he is a man who has passions and a family and he will be able to enjoy those for the future thanks to this procedure.”
