Conservative Peer Sir Graham Brady Champions NHS Prostate Cancer Screening After Successful Treatment
Conservative peer Sir Graham Brady has publicly disclosed that he has undergone successful treatment for prostate cancer on the NHS, highlighting his personal journey to advocate for improved healthcare initiatives. The former chairman of the influential 1922 Committee shared that he had been living with the disease for two years, expressing gratitude for receiving high-tech therapy similar to that chosen privately by ex-Prime Minister David Cameron.
Campaign for National Prostate Screening Programme
Lord Brady, aged 58, has now aligned himself with a campaign spearheaded by the Mail on Sunday, which is also endorsed by Lord Cameron, to establish a national prostate screening programme. The initiative aims to prevent unnecessary fatalities by detecting cancers at earlier stages through systematic screening efforts.
Additionally, he is supporting calls to expand the availability of focal therapy on the NHS. This advanced treatment, which he personally benefited from, is noted for having fewer adverse effects compared to conventional surgical or radiotherapy approaches, potentially enhancing patient outcomes and quality of life.
Diagnosis and Treatment Journey
Lord Brady's tumour was initially identified through straightforward PSA blood tests, which serve as indicators of cancer risk. Following this, he underwent two MRI scans and two biopsies that confirmed the presence of the tumour. His consultant at the prestigious Royal Marsden Hospital in London characterised the growth as small and slow-progressing, recommending a monitoring strategy over immediate surgical intervention.
Despite this advice, Lord Brady elected to proceed with immediate treatment using focal therapy. This innovative method employs high-intensity ultrasound or electrical pulses to precisely target and destroy cancerous cells while preserving surrounding healthy tissue, thereby minimising risks such as incontinence and impotence that are often associated with more invasive procedures.
Advocacy and Broader Implications
Lord Brady, who also serves as a patron for the cancer charity Prost8, emphasised his fortune in accessing this treatment but underscored the disparity in availability for many others. He stated, 'I have been very lucky, but thousands of men each year would be suitable for this kind of treatment and I want them to get it. You can do this in a day and the likelihood of a good outcome is very high. It just seems crazy that so many men are expected to wait.'
Prost8 estimates that approximately 17,000 men annually could benefit from focal therapy, yet fewer than 700 are currently offered it through the NHS, with access limited to just seven hospitals primarily in London and the South East region. This stark contrast highlights significant gaps in healthcare provision that the campaign seeks to address.
Lord Cameron previously revealed last year that his prostate cancer was successfully treated using the same technique, which he reportedly obtained privately at a cost of around £16,000. This parallel experience underscores the potential for making such advanced treatments more widely accessible through public health services, fostering equity in cancer care across the population.
