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Cross Border Treatment ?

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User
Posted 22 Feb 2026 at 13:17

I was diagnosed with Prostate cancer, on the day I was meeting consultant, David Cameron was on TV extolling the Naonknife treatment that had cured him,

So can I have NanoKnife focal therapy - sorry not available on NHS Wales, only private

OK 2nd choice can I have HIFU - sorry not available on NHS Wales, only private

OK can I have Cryotherapy- sorry not available on NHS Wales, only private

you can have Radical Prostatectomy (DaVinci) ..but not best suited to me

or Radio Therapy + HT pre & post treatment.

OK .. can I have MR-Linac   Real time tracking with MRI image, very accurate, very low collateral damage.….- sorry not available on NHS Wales, only NHS England or private  ( ~£45k)     
It is your right to request treatment cross border in NHS England  …. Christie’s NHS Trust allow NHS Wales patients.    No, all requests for outside treatment are rejected as no funds.

My option is Volumetric Modulated Arc Therapy (VMAT).     This is effective, but can damage the bowel, with wonderful terms such as anal-leakage for 6-9 months.

However good news, you can have a rectal spacer gel injected, this puts a space between bowel & prostrate so bowel does not get irradiated in collateral damage.   OK can I have that please …. sorry not available on NHS Wales, only private  (£8k)    It will be performed by the NHS urologist who has been treating me.

Feels like NHSWales is a 2nd class service.


So my Q would be, is PROSTRATE CANCER UK able to assist in obtaining treatment in NHS England or using Private facilities.   I’m retired, with no medical insurance.

 

User
Posted 23 Feb 2026 at 00:34
Yes is must be galling to know that there are more advanced treatments that are available in England that are not available in Wales. One could argue that that is a price you pay for Wales running its own affairs. However, even in England a number of more advanced treatments are only available in London or some of the major towns. and then not all are available on the NHS.

With regard to your last paragraph, hopefully the moderators will reply on behalf of Prostate Cancer UK. They do fund certain research projects but I would be surprised it they would fund or support individuals for treatment. To do so, would create a precedent and open them to applications from far and wide.

Although, not cutting edge, you should be able to get good treatment in Wales and I hope this serves you well. Sometimes your GP can help, particularly if your case absolutely needs specialised treatment not available locally.

Barry
User
Posted 23 Feb 2026 at 01:10

Originally Posted by: Online Community Member
However good news, you can have a rectal spacer gel injected, this puts a space between bowel & prostrate so bowel does not get irradiated in collateral damage.

Quiz your oncologist closely on this one. A rectal spacer can be useful in some, but not all situations. It's not always the case that the RT beams will cause collateral damage to the bowel. Spacers can also restrict the angles of approach for RT beams or even shift out of place in some situations. My oncologist recommended against it. 

For encouragement, as a G9 with spread to seminal vesicles and several lymph nodes I had VMAT RT [in Australia] without a Spaceoar and have had zero problems with my bowel during or after treatment. I guess the question is whether the positioning of your cancer  and the accuracy of the RT you can get changes the equation in regard to whether a spacer would help?

Jules

Edited by member 23 Feb 2026 at 01:11  | Reason: Not specified

 
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