Patients with prostate cancer will be diagnosed quicker and treated more effectively at Good Hope Hospital thanks to a £200,000 donation from the Sutton Coldfield Charitable Trust.

The money has allowed the Urology team to purchase a Fusion Prostate Biopsy Machine to benefit patients and increase the early detection and treatment of prostate cancer.

Mr Vivek Wadhwa, was the consultant urological surgeon instrumental in securing the donation from the Sutton Coldfield Charitable Trust. He has received training from a London hospital on the use of this machine and has already started using it for patients with suspected prostate cancer. He welcomed the Charitable Trust and members of the Sutton Coldfield Prostate Cancer Support Group to a thank-you event where the Sutton Coldfield Lord Mayor, Charlotte Hodivala, unveiled the plaque recognising the donation.

Mr Wadhwa said: “We are so grateful for this generous donation from the Sutton Coldfield Charitable Trust. This new machine will allow us to much more accurately target areas of concern when diagnosing prostate cancer.”

Prostate cancer affects one in eight men and the earlier it is caught, the better the chance of survival. It’s the most common male cancer with 55,000 men diagnosed annually, of which around 12,000 will not survive. A quarter of men diagnosed at Good Hope Hospital are under 65.

It’s not routinely screened for, but GPs can carry out a simple blood test to determine levels of prostate-specific antigens (PSA).

Joe Dyke, 82, was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2000 and has been treated with hormones and cryotherapy. It’s unlikely the cancer will be cured, but it hasn’t spread and his PSA levels are currently stable. Joe is chairman of the Sutton Coldfield Prostate Cancer Support Group, which helps other men who are diagnosed with prostate cancer. He is delighted that the new Fusion Prostate Biopsy Machine will speed up diagnosis and enable more effective treatment for patients like him.

Ernie Murray, Chief Executive of the Sutton Coldfield Charitable Trust, said: “The remit of the Sutton Coldfield Charitable Trust is to support the health and wellbeing of local residents.  Good Hope Hospital excels in this area and we are delighted to support the purchase of this new equipment and to hear from a patient how this equipment has helped to save his life.  It is reassuring to know that many more patients will now benefit from early detection of prostate cancer as a result of the purchase of this equipment.”