From football clubs and village halls to places of worship and work – life-saving surgeon Jyoti Shah MBE is leading the fight against prostate cancer, whatever the setting.
Encouraging men to attend one-stop clinics in the community, the Macmillan Consultant Urological Surgeon is bringing her important message about early detection to thousands of male patients across the country.
The North West Anglia NHS Foundation Trust consultant who leads a team at Hinchingbrooke Hospital, is now looking to set up clinics locally at venues within the community to get the message out to more men to get themselves checked.
Miss Shah was recognised in King Charles’ first New Year honours list earlier this year for her services to medicine, acknowledging her career and working in the screening and diagnosis of cancer patients in the community.
In particular, she specialises in prostate cancer and has a specific focus on rapid diagnostics of the disease, which kills one man every 45 minutes in the UK.
After recently taking up the post of Urology Department lead at North West Anglia NHS Foundation Trust, Miss Shah is using the backdrop of Men’s Health Awareness Month this ‘Movember’ to raise awareness of prostate cancer.
She says the recent diagnosis announced by high-profile BBC sports presenter Steve Rider has helped to highlight the importance of screening among men, particularly those with a family history of prostate cancer.
She said: “Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men in the UK, with one in eight being diagnosed at some point in their lives – and for men from an Afro-Caribbean heritage, the risk is one in four.
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“A lot of men like to bury their head in the sand when it comes to their health. They are often too busy to go to their doctor or to access the relevant services.
“But because prostate cancer often doesn’t have any symptoms – they won’t appreciate the need to go and get checked for a problem that effectively doesn’t exist. However, because there are no signs, that doesn’t mean that it’s not there.”
Prostate cancer is a 'silent killer'
Miss Shah, author of Fighting Prostate Cancer: A Survival Guide, a book to help men and their families understand a little more about prostate cancer and how it is diagnosed and treated, is keen to continue with her nationally acclaimed community clinics.
Since introducing her Fighting Prostate Cancer campaign in community settings around the UK in 2016, over 3,000 men have been screened – leading to the detection of around 100 cancer cases.
“I feel strongly that these kind of events resonate with many people, and in conjunction with the Trust, I am passionate about continuing these community clinics for men,” she added.
“Not only do they take the pressure off GPs, but they provide education and awareness in what many may see as a less formal and/or less threatening environment – thus taking away the fear factor.”
Men can book into their nearest clinic, run by Miss Shah and a team of medical professionals - and receive a PSA (prostate-specific antigen) blood test, a prostate examination and have their blood pressure and BMI taken all within a matter of minutes.
They will then be advised that either no further immediate action is necessary or may be advised that they need further investigation. All results are copied to GPs so that a record is in each person’s file.
Miss Shah added: “Prostate cancer is a silent killer, but it is a cancer that we can cure if we pick it up early enough.”
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