Former Blue Peter presenter Peter Duncan appeared on Good Morning Britain to speak about focal therapy, a less invasive treatment for prostate cancer. The 72-year-old was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2019 and initially offered a procedure to remove his prostate, but he sought an alternative and discovered focal therapy.
Prostate cancer: a common threat
Before speaking to Peter, ITV's Kate Garraway shared that prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men and sadly claims the lives of around 12,000 people in the UK each year. Usually, treatment for the disease can be invasive and cause life-changing side effects.
However, focal therapy is offering a different outlook for those seeking treatment, although the ITV star shared that it's only available for some patients. Adil added: “The treatment isn’t widely available on the NHS, meaning access can depend on your postcode.”
Peter's personal experience
The ITV star informed viewers that Peter underwent focal therapy himself and wants it to be more accessible to people. Joining Kate and Adil on the show, the former Blue Peter star recalled his treatment process.
He commented: “I’d had my MRI and then I got a message, ‘Yes, you have got prostate cancer’. I hadn’t thought about it in such a long time. I was talking to my wife the other day about how I’d forgotten that bit, or I’d forgotten how it was. You are emotionally involved in it because you go from, 'Am I going to die?' to trying to get a prognosis and working out what might happen. Then, there’s a whole myriad of things you can do about it. I ended up going to have a session with a doctor, and they said you should have a prosectomy, that’s when my own instincts kicked in.”
Peter explained that a prosectomy is a surgery in which the prostate is completely removed, which is quite common and widely available. Admitting that he wasn’t keen on the idea, he wanted to explore other options. After being put in contact with another doctor, Peter shared that when he looked at his scan results, the doctor told him he’d be able to treat him.
What is focal therapy?
He added: “The thing about focal therapy is it's less invasive, and that’s where my interest in it lies. The side effects and all the other things that can happen to you are less because of this particular treatment.”
Explaining more about the therapy on the show, viewers learned that it could be done via ultrasound and it targets the cells that it needs to and not unnecessary cells, which could sometimes cause issues further down for the patient.
Access and funding
Kate asked why everyone can’t receive this treatment, with Keith Morgan from Prostate Cancer UK replying: “It’s a frustrating situation. Where you live determines hugely whether you’re able to access it or if you’re part of a trial, which includes focal therapy. Currently, only 1,000 are able to access the therapy.”
Keith shared that people would like to see a universal rollout of it being available to patients, regardless of where they live. Recently, the government committed up to £2.8m to expand focal therapy provision by creating several new centres.
Peter confessed: “I was just lucky, I lived in an area where it was available.” He told the presenters that although he likes what the government have said on the matter so far, he’d like them to go a bit further and make sure it becomes available to all. Adil added: “I have to say, you’re like one of our heroes, and you still look so young!”
Government response
In a statement, Health Innovation and Safety Minister, Preet Kaur Gill, said: “Everyone deserves access to the best possible treatment, and this government is determined to make that a reality. This study is a powerful demonstration of what focal therapy can achieve. Our investment of up to £2.8 million, announced earlier this year, will help expand the TRANSFORM trial and ensure more men have access to this treatment through prostate cancer screening. Our National Cancer Plan sets out our ambition to transform cancer care, and backing innovations like focal therapy is exactly how we are delivering on that promise.”
Good Morning Britain is available to watch on ITV from 6am.
