Transforming the screening, diagnosis and treatment of prostate cancer

At the moment prostate cancer is diagnosed using a rectal examination and a biopsy test that are not accurate. My previous research has shown that using MRI scans and MRI-guided biopsies can more accurately find out how aggressive a cancer is, so my work will involve redefining risk using these accurate tests.

Screening for prostate cancer is not recommended in the UK. I will test whether MRI might be used as a screening test in high-risk men. Advanced prostate cancer is treated with medication alone. I want to test whether heat-based treatments can be used to successfully treat the main prostate tumour. Randomised controlled trials in surgery are difficult. This is a bad thing for future patients because improvements in treatments may not get to clinic. I will try a new way of running randomised surgical trials.

This study’s findings will hopefully improve the screening, diagnosis and treatment of prostate cancer.