A dad needs to raise £18,500 for revolutionary treatment after being diagnosed with prostate cancer, but being told the therapy is not available on the NHS. Consultants have told Andrew Wootten, 58, they will monitor the cancer rather than remove it, but Andrew wants to try focal therapy - which is still yet to be approved by the NHS.
Now the driver is hoping to raise enough cash to fund the treatment - as he is haunted by the death of his 69-year-old dad Stan from prostate cancer. Andrew told StokeOnTrentLive : "The NHS thinks it is in my best interests not to treat it because I am considered young and the side effects are too extreme to do anything at this point.
"This is something very unsettling to me as 16 years ago my dad had the same diagnosis and the treatment has not progressed any further since. My father was 64 years old when he was diagnosed and they did what is called 'active surveillance' - and this is what they would like to do with me too.
"After a couple of years my dad's health deteriorated, his cancer had progressed, and he had to undergo radiotherapy. Unfortunately his cancer became so aggressive that his treatment did not work, the cancer spread throughout his body, and sadly he lost his battle.
"I have recently discovered focal therapy. This treatment is in the clinical trials stage and it has had excellent success rates so far but because it is in the trial stage it is not available or funded by the NHS.
"I asked my consultant for advice and he agreed that more people were needed for the clinical trials to ensure it had a chance to be successfully added to the NHS options of treatment plans. He also confirmed that I met all of the criteria for this treatment."
Focal therapy uses high-intensity focused ultrasound to create high temperatures in cancerous areas. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence has ruled that ‘evidence on the safety of focal therapy is adequate, but evidence on its efficacy is limited’.
Daughter Stacey Rahmen, aged 33, said: “Focal therapy is in a trial stage. It has to be done with early prostate cancer. If you leave it, it's not suitable for treatment.
Andrew and Jane on their wedding day
“My dad's active surveillance is a blood test every four months and an MRI every 12 months. But when my grandad was due to be checked again, it had not only grown but it had spread throughout his body. He had to have radiotherapy but it didn’t work. Seeing how much he suffered, it was a blessing to see he didn’t suffer anymore, it even went into his eye.
“Anything that can help is a big help. I want to change the next generation and get this treatment on the NHS to help everybody, even if it saves just one life.”
To donate to the fundraiser, click here.
