‘A simple blood test really could save your life’

A cancer survivor is appealing to men in Medway and Swale to make sure they know the signs of prostate cancer before it’s too late.

David Lamkin booked an appointment with his GP after his wife Teresa noticed he was urinating more at night time. He was then diagnosed and treated for prostate cancer by staff at Medway Maritime Hospital within four weeks after his GP referred him to the hospital’s urology team following the results of a PSA blood test.

The 65-year-old, from Rochester, said: “My advice to any man who is having problems in the bladder area is to speak to your GP a soon as possible. Early intervention is absolutely key with any form of cancer to ensure a better outcome.”

Often, the symptoms of non-cancerous prostate conditions and prostate cancer are similar. They can include:

needing to pee more often than usual, especially at night
difficulty peeing – for example, a weak flow or having to strain to start peeing
feeling like you have not completely emptied your bladder
an urgent need to pee
blood in your urine or semen
rarely, pain when peeing or ejaculating

A PSA blood test taken on 27 December 2023 revealed David’s protein levels were too high, which can be a sign of prostate cancer. After getting the results the following day he was referred to the hospital’s urology department. On 2 January he was sent for an MRI scan and eight days later biopsies were done.

He said: “Teresa and I went to the hospital a week later and Professor Matin Sheriff confirmed I had prostate cancer. It was a kick in the stomach, especially as I’ve never smoked, never drank, and done untold marathons for charity.

Prostate Cancer Survivor David Lamkin smiling

“We were taken to a side room and introduced to our wonderful Straight to Test Urology Clinical Nurse Specialist Bakani Moyo who was extremely caring and spoke to us about everything that would be happening. My wife and I sat there laughing and joking because it just didn’t seem right but when we left with all the leaflets and booklets we were both numb.

“Driving home we sat in silence but when we got home and spoke to our two sons we both cried. We didn’t cry for long though because we knew we had a fight on our hands and the cancer wasn’t going to win.”

Due to the stage of David’s cancer the only option was surgery to remove the prostate and the lymph nodes in the groin and stomach area.

“Until I got my date for surgery I still hadn’t really accepted that I had cancer. I was carrying on as usual. I had no pain, no discomfort and no signs this thing was inside my body.”

On 13 February David was admitted for surgery which was carried out by Professor Sheriff, Consultant Urological Surgeon, and the hospital’s Lead Robotic Surgeon, using a surgical robot called Da Vinci. This minimally invasive surgery, which was introduced to the hospital five years ago, has revolutionised the care provided to patients undergoing prostate surgery. Under the surgeon’s control, Da Vinci is to able perform complex and incredibly precise procedures in a way that is not always possible with human hands. As a result, the system has replaced open surgery with small incisions meaning patients experience less pain, go home sooner and have less chance of needing follow-up surgery or experiencing a complication, such as a postoperative infection.

Prostate cancer survivor David Lamkin receives a big kiss on the cheek from wife Teresa

David, who works as a fish porter at Billingsgate Fish Market in London, said: “We got to the hospital at 7am and went to the pre-op care room where we met the most wonderful nurses. They were so caring and professional. Then the anaesthetist and the doctor came to see me. They all knew I was nervous as this was the first time I’d ever been in hospital let alone had an operation. Professor Sheriff even gave me a cuddle to calm my nerves and told me I was in safe hands.

“When I came round I was on Victory Ward. Again the professionalism of the nurses was outstanding and I was treated with the upmost dignity and care. Even though the nurses see this kind of operation every single day they treated me as though I was the first prostate cancer patient they had ever dealt with. Any questions I had they always had the answers.

“I was sent home two days later under the care of the SMART Team who provided me with some equipment to take home so they could monitor me virtually. It was easy to use and best of all it meant I didn’t have to travel back and forth to the hospital.”

David is now on the road to recovery but he will continue to be monitored on a yearly basis.

He added: “Considering I’ve had major surgery for cancer I’ve been surprised by the speed of my recovery and my scars are very small.

“Thanks to the dedicated staff at Medway Maritime Hospital my cancer journey has been made a lot easier and I cannot thank everyone who was involved with my care enough.

“After I told my boss and a few of my colleagues that I had been diagnosed with prostate cancer some of them booked an appointment with their GP to get checked.

“Cancer is a scary word but if any men have any concerns about their prostate I strongly encourage them to book an appointment with their GP as soon as possible. A simple blood test really could save your life, just like it did mine.”

For more information about prostate cancer visit Macmillan Cancer Support’s website.

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Dr Jaroslaw Beta, who is known to colleagues and service users as Jarek, holds baby Jarek who is named after him. Mum Lauren Davies is pictured next to them.

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