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How MRIdian radiotherapy transformed Raj's prostate cancer treatment
For a number of years Raj ignored the fact that he’d started to get up at night to urinate and whilst it was always in the back of his mind to get this checked, he admits he chose to ignore it.
In 2023, around his 57th birthday, Raj asked his GP for a PSA test during a routine medication check.
Raj explains “This was the beginning of my journey. My PSA level was marginally higher than it should be, which was confirmed with a repeat test and my GP told me if I was two years older it would be considered a normal reading, but I should have an MRI to see what was going on. The MRI was almost conclusive, but my consultant also wanted a biopsy to be sure.”
He continues, “To be honest, I wasn’t expecting a cancer diagnosis but thought maybe I had an enlarged prostate. When I was told it was prostate cancer, I had a moment where I thought, ‘I wasn’t expecting that and what’s the prognosis?’ but then surprised myself with how logical and rational I felt, rather than feeling emotional or panicked.
Following his diagnosis, Raj was told he needed a PET-CT scan to check whether the cancer had spread. Wanting to get this done as quickly as possible, he used his private health insurance to have this specialised test at GenesisCare in Oxford, within days.
“Thankfully my prostate cancer was caught early. I was given the option of surgery or radiotherapy and initially thought I’d opt for robotic surgery but wanted to explore all the treatments available to me.
Dr Philip Camilleri, Clinical Director of Uro Oncology at GenesisCare, comments "Raj requested a private appointment with me via his GP after he was diagnosed with intermediate risk prostate cancer and a PSA of 5.3.
Biopsies showed Raj had cancer on both sides of his prostate but there was no evidence of spread outside the prostate, he was not experiencing urinary symptoms and had good prostate volume, making him a good candidate for treatment on the MRIdian"
Raj explains “I’d never heard of MRIdian MR linac radiotherapy before, but when Dr Camilleri described it to me it sounded perfect. It’s completely non-invasive, has a much shorter treatment schedule and allows you to carry on with your usual lifestyle during treatment.”
My treatment on the MRIdian was so simple, so easy. Everything went like clockwork, it just left me questioning why people still have surgery when this type of technology is available.
Raj had 5 radiotherapy sessions on the MRIdian over five consecutive days at GenesisCare in Oxford, with each appointment lasting just 1 hour.
“I did take the week off work but half the time I felt like a fraud, and I was back to work as normal the next week and never felt any different. I was told not to overdo it for a few days after, but I continued to play tennis and go for walks every day. Life has remained exactly the same as before my diagnosis and treatment, which is what you hope it will be.”
Dr Camilleri concludes: “As a result of his treatment on the MRIdian, Raj’s PSA dropped significantly to 0.8. Going forward he will have regular PSA checks for the next 4 years and his PSA may well continue to drop.”
Raj’s advice to other men who may find themselves in a similar situation is “Don’t put it off! Anybody over 50, especially if you’ve got symptoms, please get your PSA checked annually.”
Talking about his experience of treatment on the MRIdian, Raj told us “The MRIdian has to be your go to choice unless there are reasons why it’s not appropriate for you. When you have a non-invasive and accurate option open to you, there needs to be a really good reason not to have MRIdian radiotherapy if you can.”