Graham, 53, Aberdeen

As CEO of a man management company in Aberdeen, and with four demanding children, Graham really did not have the time to be ill, so when he got the results from a routine medical check-up that he had a PSA level of 6.5 ng/mL he was shocked.

“I had booked in for a BUPA medical check last May just to make sure everything was in working order before I embarked on a 120 mile charity bike ride” said Graham. “I had trained hard for the ride and was feeling fit and healthy so when the doctor said I had prostate cancer, I was totally taken aback.”

“My initial reaction was to have surgery and just cut it out, but when I was told that it could take 3 months to fully recover and that there was a strong possibility that I would get erectile and urinary problems after surgery, I realised that my life may never be the same again.”

Deciding that surgery was not an option, Graham was given the alternative choice of external beam radiation, which has a high success rate, but still has the same side effects as surgery. A friend, however, mentioned that he had read about the brachytherapy in Guildford which was pioneering research into prostate cancer.

“I looked them up on the web and read about LDR brachytherapy, a non-invasive treatment which injects radioactive seeds into the tumour”, said Graham. “I had not heard of this treatment before but it sounded a good option to me.”

Graham went to see Professor Stephen Langley at the Centre. “I was worried how successful the treatment would be and what would happen if it did not work and the centre was, of course, a long way from home.” However, Professor Stephen Langley reassured Graham that LDR brachytherapy had a high success rate with fewer side effects than surgery and that he could be back home and at work again very soon.

“I went in for the brachytherapy procedure in the morning and was out of bed in the afternoon and home the next day. It was that quick and painless”, said Graham.

Please Note: The picture is a model and is not the patient represented in the story