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User
Posted 08 Jan 2018 at 19:06
Hi All

My husband is awaiting a CT scan to check that the prostate cancer hasn’t spread anywhere else, it has grown into the bladder so far, so just keeping fingers crossed it’s gone no further.

I was wondering if anyone has looked into private medical treatment (we don’t have any medical plan in place like bupa ) .

My husband is on hormone tablets and starts the injections on Wednesday, once they have the CT results he will be starting radiotherapy.

He is really struggling emotionally and just wondered if going down the private route would get things done quicker ?

Thanks in advance

User
Posted 09 Jan 2018 at 00:45

Hi,

Agree HT takes some time to shrink the tumour but when ready for RT some linacs are more advanced than others, an area of ongoing improvement. This is an example of one linac (Varian rapid arc) machine a few people have had treatment on in the UK within the NHS. One might have to travel some way to find a hospital in the UK that has this or a similar one though.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CxJguWhXInM

 

Edited by member 09 Jan 2018 at 00:48  | Reason: Not specified

Barry
User
Posted 08 Jan 2018 at 19:58

We self funded private treatment to begin with but by the time we got to RT / HT that would have been unmanageable so we pay for private consultations to discuss the NHS treatment. Just to give you an idea, each PSA test costs me £175 by the time we have paid for the appointment to get the blood sample, the lab work, the letter with the result, the canula, the syringe etc.

"Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards." Soren Kierkegaard

User
Posted 08 Jan 2018 at 20:08
Hi Angie, where I live BUPA Hospitals don’t have separate radiotherapy or CT equipment. I think they book time on the NHS machines out of hours. I believe they have a partnership with the NHS facilities. The cost of radiotherapy would be in excess of £20000 I believe as I did look at possibly having proton therapy at one point so investigated potential costs of both photon (X-ray) radiotherapy and proton therapy to compare. A CT scan would Cost up to £1000.

Best wishes, Ian.

Ido4

User
Posted 08 Jan 2018 at 22:18

Angie, I just read your post again and wonder if you have misunderstood something - your comment about getting things done quicker suggests that you think there is some delay? It would be extremely unusual to start radiotherapy this early; most commonly the man has hormones for 3 or 6 months to shrink the prostate first - recent research has suggested that the best outcome is having hormones for 12 months before the RT starts. So your partner's treatment isn't being delayed at all.

"Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards." Soren Kierkegaard

User
Posted 09 Jan 2018 at 08:41
I agree, treatment has started as soon as you are on HT. I had my salvage radiotherapy at the Western General Hospital Cancer Centre in Edinburgh (NHS) and they use Varian Rapidarc machines like the one in Barry’s link. They used a cone beam CT every day to get me into exactly the right position so that the radiation is delivered very accurately. It might be worth checking which type of machine your NHS centre uses.

Ian

Ido4

User
Posted 31 Jan 2018 at 04:10

Angie,

All my treatments are carried out privately through BUPA.

I would say that the private route is quick and is comfortable and you can see a consultant at a drop of a hat, but the NHS route also seems very efficient so if I were not getting BUPA through my work I would have no hesitation going through the NHS route.

Regards

Dave

Edited by member 31 Jan 2018 at 04:11  | Reason: Not specified

"Incurable cancer does not mean it is untreatable and does not mean it is terminal either"
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User
Posted 08 Jan 2018 at 19:58

We self funded private treatment to begin with but by the time we got to RT / HT that would have been unmanageable so we pay for private consultations to discuss the NHS treatment. Just to give you an idea, each PSA test costs me £175 by the time we have paid for the appointment to get the blood sample, the lab work, the letter with the result, the canula, the syringe etc.

"Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards." Soren Kierkegaard

User
Posted 08 Jan 2018 at 20:08
Hi Angie, where I live BUPA Hospitals don’t have separate radiotherapy or CT equipment. I think they book time on the NHS machines out of hours. I believe they have a partnership with the NHS facilities. The cost of radiotherapy would be in excess of £20000 I believe as I did look at possibly having proton therapy at one point so investigated potential costs of both photon (X-ray) radiotherapy and proton therapy to compare. A CT scan would Cost up to £1000.

Best wishes, Ian.

Ido4

User
Posted 08 Jan 2018 at 20:34
Thank you that’s a great help.

We are just grasping at straws at the moment.

Xxx

User
Posted 08 Jan 2018 at 22:18

Angie, I just read your post again and wonder if you have misunderstood something - your comment about getting things done quicker suggests that you think there is some delay? It would be extremely unusual to start radiotherapy this early; most commonly the man has hormones for 3 or 6 months to shrink the prostate first - recent research has suggested that the best outcome is having hormones for 12 months before the RT starts. So your partner's treatment isn't being delayed at all.

"Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards." Soren Kierkegaard

User
Posted 09 Jan 2018 at 00:45

Hi,

Agree HT takes some time to shrink the tumour but when ready for RT some linacs are more advanced than others, an area of ongoing improvement. This is an example of one linac (Varian rapid arc) machine a few people have had treatment on in the UK within the NHS. One might have to travel some way to find a hospital in the UK that has this or a similar one though.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CxJguWhXInM

 

Edited by member 09 Jan 2018 at 00:48  | Reason: Not specified

Barry
User
Posted 09 Jan 2018 at 08:41
I agree, treatment has started as soon as you are on HT. I had my salvage radiotherapy at the Western General Hospital Cancer Centre in Edinburgh (NHS) and they use Varian Rapidarc machines like the one in Barry’s link. They used a cone beam CT every day to get me into exactly the right position so that the radiation is delivered very accurately. It might be worth checking which type of machine your NHS centre uses.

Ian

Ido4

User
Posted 09 Jan 2018 at 16:50
We are going to Derby Royal tomorrow for another CT scan so will ask the questions.

Many thanks to you all for taking time to reply best wishes to you all x

User
Posted 31 Jan 2018 at 04:10

Angie,

All my treatments are carried out privately through BUPA.

I would say that the private route is quick and is comfortable and you can see a consultant at a drop of a hat, but the NHS route also seems very efficient so if I were not getting BUPA through my work I would have no hesitation going through the NHS route.

Regards

Dave

Edited by member 31 Jan 2018 at 04:11  | Reason: Not specified

"Incurable cancer does not mean it is untreatable and does not mean it is terminal either"
User
Posted 31 Jan 2018 at 20:28

Thank you Dave, we are well into the NHS system now, Bri is having hormone treatment as had his first chemotherapy treatment then after 6 treatments of chemotherapy he will be having seven weeks of radiotherapy.
I think your quote is a perfect thanks again x

 
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