HUMAN BODY

Treatments for eye conditions

In this section you'll find information about the different medicines used to treat conditions affecting your eyes. Don't forget this is only a guide – talk to your doctor or pharmacist if you've any questions about treatment.


Treatments for age-related macular degeneration

In this section you'll find information about some of the different treatments available for age-related macular degeneration. Don't forget this is only a guide – talk to your doctor or pharmacist if you've any questions about treatment.
Age-related macular degeneration

Lucentis (ranibizumab)
Macugen (pegaptanib)
Visudyne (verteporfin)

Eyes

Problems with your eyes and their health can indicate a whole range of problems with the rest of your body. We have factsheets on the most common eye complaints from cataracts to lazy eye. Our experts list the possible treatments available to you and you can also share your concerns with other users by discussing your situation on our discussion forums

Our eyesight is one of our most valuable senses. As we age it's normal to experience some reduction in vision. Use the information in this section to keep your eyes healthy and help you spot the warning signs of more serious conditions.


Contact lens care

Why is it important to look after my contact lenses?
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The best routine for caring for your contact lenses may depend on the type of contact lenses you use.

There are many different types of contact lenses used by people in a whole range of situations.

However, the one thing that they all have in common is following the correct cleaning and hygiene measures, which are vital in avoiding any serious problems with lens wear.

The two main problems that can be caused by poor cleaning and hygiene with contact lens wear are:

the risk of an eye infection
a poor level of oxygen reaching the front of the eye.

Why is this important? Infections of the eye can range from mild, which makes the eye slightly red and uncomfortable, to a serious ulcer, which is painful and can cause a serious risk to the vision in the eye.

Again, if the eye doesn’t get enough oxygen through the lens to remain healthy, the eye can suffer from changes that can make vision blurred and cause long-term damage to the cornea.

The overall risk of these complications is low, provided the cleaning and care instructions are well followed. This article aims to highlight the important points of good contact lens care.
How do I look after my contact lenses?

The best routine for caring for your contact lenses may depend on the type of contact lenses you use. This may be in terms of the material used – whether it’s a hard lens like a rigid gas permeable lens or a soft lens.

It may also depend on whether your lens is a daily disposable lens or a lens that is designed to last for a set period of time, eg a fortnightly lens or a monthly lens.

Daily disposable lenses don't require any daily cleaning because they are thrown away after one day's wear. It's important that these lenses are never reused.

Because the wearer is always using a new lens, these are safe in terms of reducing the risk of an infection and can be used in patients who have had problems with other lens types. However some of the advice below on hygiene measures still applies to these lenses.

If you wear contact lenses that are designed to last for a fixed period of time, they will require daily cleaning as instructed by your optometrist in order to reduce the risk of problems.

Whether you wear a hard lens or a soft lens, you'll be advised on a suitable contact lens solution that will be used to ‘clean’ the lens after a day’s wear, followed by overnight 'soaking' in a clean case.

The solutions may consist of either a 'multi-purpose' solution in one bottle or a two bottle system – one for cleaning and one for soaking. These solutions will be specific to either hard lenses or soft lenses.

In general, all lenses need to be cleaned after they have been worn for a day. This involves placing the lens in the palm of the hand, covering it with the cleaning solution and giving it a gentle rub with the tip of your finger for about 30 seconds. This cleans the surface of the lens of any deposits.

The lens should then be placed in the case in fresh soaking solution overnight.

The lens is then ready to be used in the morning without any further cleaning.

It may be useful to have 'saline' at hand when cleaning and handling the lens in order to rinse the cleaning solution. It's important that fresh solution is used each night.

Also if the lens has not been used for a few days, it's important to go through the cleaning routine the night before wearing the lens again.

With all solutions, always read the enclosed instructions on their proper use, and discard bottles when they exceed their expiry date.
What if I have problems with my contact lens solutions?

Some people can have an allergic reaction to their lens solutions due to one of the ingredients.

If the eyes become red, watery and feel burning or itchy, it's possible that this is what has happened.

In this case, take the lenses out, and consult your optometrist. There are other solutions available that don’t contain any preservatives, which your optometrist can instruct you on.

These prevent most allergic reactions. It may also be suitable to change to a daily disposable lens, which would remove the need for cleaning solutions.
What other things do I need to do to make contact lens wear safe?

The following rules of contact lens wear apply to all types of lenses, regardless of type and material.

Handwashing: always wash and rinse your hands thoroughly with an antibacterial soap before any handling or cleaning of the lenses.
Domestic water: do not use tap water to clean or rinse the lenses. Tap water contains small bugs and bacteria that can cause serious infections and ulcers of the eye. This applies also to showers and swimming pools – contact lenses should not be worn in either of these situations.
Contact lens cases must be cleaned and replaced regularly. A dirty contact lens case is one of the most common sources of serious eye infections. The case should be cleaned at least once a week, either with the solutions or with boiling water, and allowed to air-dry.
Sleeping in lenses: unless your lens is designed to be slept in and has been arranged under the guidance of your optometrist, do not sleep in your contact lenses. This greatly increases the risk of an infection of the eye and other problems caused by a poor level of oxygen reaching the eye.
Attend regular contact lens check-ups with your optometrist. The frequency of check-up will be decided by your optometrist. This is typically either once every six months or annually. This allows your optometrist to check for any signs of dryness, infection or long-term problems caused by poor oxygen levels. Adherence to their advice will greatly reduce the risk of any problems. If you buy your lenses online, it is also important to attend your optometrist check-up because there can be subtle long-term changes occurring that you as the patient would be otherwise unaware of.

What if I experience a problem with my contact lenses?

If you experience any problems, such as redness, discomfort or pain, discharge or reduced vision with your lenses, follow the steps below.

Remove the lenses and retain them along with their case for your optometrist to examine. Do not reinsert your lenses until you have consulted your optometrist or an eye doctor.
Phone your optometrist and report your symptoms. They will arrange to see you as urgently as required. If it is outside normal office hours and you have a major concern in terms of pain or reduced vision, contact your GP surgery or NHS Direct or NHS 24 (Scotland) for further advice.

Check your symptoms

Use our Symptom Checker, created in partnership with NHS Direct, to assess your symptoms online and receive personalised feedback on the best course of action. The Symptom Checker is operated and provided by NHS Direct.

Select the topic that relates most closely to the symptoms you are experiencing to start the symptom checker.
Abdominal pain Back injury
Bites and stings Breathing problems
Burns, scalds and electric shock Chest and back pain
Chest injury Colds and flu
Collapse Confusion
Contraception enquiry Diarrhoea and vomiting
Diarrhoea and vomiting in under 5s Dental problems
Diabetes Dizziness and light-headedness
Earache Eye problems
Facial injury Female sexual health
Foreign body Hay fever and minor allergies
Headache Head injury
Joint pain and swelling Leg pain
Limb injury Male sexual health
Mental health Mouth problems
Neck pain Nosebleed
Pregnancy problems Rashes and skin problems
Rectal bleeding Swallowed or inhaled object or substance
Urinary problems Wounds

Ears, nose and throat facts

Earache, cold and sore throat cause misery for millions of us every year. In this section you'll find advice and information to help you and your family. There are also factsheets on more serious conditions that affect the ears, nose and throat.

Factsheets
Ear

Acoustic neuroma
Age-related hearing loss (presbyacusis)
Earache
Glue ear (secretory otitis media)
Inflammation of middle ear (otitis media)
Inflammation of outer ear (otitis externa)
Is loud music ruining your hearing?
Ménière's disease
MP3 players: turn the music down
Otoscopic examination (examination of ear)
Protruding ears
Tinnitus

Nose

Allergy
Cancer of nasopharynx
Cold (common cold)
Croup
Deviated nasal septum
Hay fever and allergic perennial rhinitis
Nasal polyps
Nosebleeds (epistaxis)
Nosebleeds in children
Sinusitis
Snore wars reducing the racket
Snoring and obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA)
Snoring – no laughing matter

Throat

Adenoids
Cancer of the larynx
Cancer of the oesophagus
Dysphonia (voice disorder)
Gastro-oesophageal reflux (acid reflux)
Glandular fever (infectious mononucleosis)
Laryngitis
Sore throat
Tonsillitis

Introduction to ears and hearing

Audition is the scientific name for the sense of sound. Sound is a form of energy that moves through air, water, and other matter, in waves of pressure. Sound is the means of auditory communication, including frog calls, bird songs and spoken language. Although the ear is the vertebrate sense organ that recognizes sound, it is the brain and central nervous system that "hears". Sound waves are perceived by the brain through the firing of nerve cells in the auditory portion of the central nervous system. The ear changes sound pressure waves from the outside world into a signal of nerve impulses sent to the brain.
Anatomy of the human ear. The length of the auditory canal is exaggerated for viewing purposes.

The outer part of the ear collects sound. That sound pressure is amplified through the middle portion of the ear and, in land animals, passed from the medium of air into a liquid medium. The change from air to liquid occurs because air surrounds the head and is contained in the ear canal and middle ear, but not in the inner ear. The inner ear is hollow, embedded in the temporal bone, the densest bone of the body. The hollow channels of the inner ear are filled with liquid, and contain a sensory epithelium that is studded with hair cells. The microscopic "hairs" of these cells are structural protein filaments that project out into the fluid. The hair cells are mechanoreceptors that release a chemical neurotransmitter when stimulated. Sound waves moving through fluid push the filaments; if the filaments bend over enough it causes the hair cells to fire. In this way sound waves are transformed into nerve impulses. In vision, the rods and cones of the retina play a similar role with light as the hair cells do with sound. The nerve impulses travel from the left and right ears through the eighth cranial nerve to both sides of the brain stem and up to the portion of the cerebral cortex dedicated to sound. This auditory part of the cerebral cortex is in the temporal lobe.

The part of the ear that is dedicated to sensing balance and position also sends impulses through the eighth cranial nerve, the VIIIth nerve's Vestibular Portion. Those impulses are sent to the vestibular portion of the central nervous system. The human ear can generally hear sounds with frequencies between 20 Hz and 20 kHz (the audio range). Although the sensation of hearing requires an intact and functioning auditory portion of the central nervous system as well as a working ear, human deafness (extreme insensitivity to sound) most commonly occurs because of abnormalities of the inner ear, rather than the nerves or tracts of the central auditory system.

Ear, nose and throat

The ear nose and throat not only contain three of our senses but they also coordinate our balance and how we place ourselves in our environment. We house factsheets on problems such as a sore throat and vertigo. We also offer the most recent news on conditions affecting these areas and you can get advice from fellow sufferers using our discussion forms.

Parenting

Being a parenting is not only a full-time job but you have to fill so many positions, nurse, councillor, driver, housemaid, cook and so many more. Our section contains factsheets on common complaints your children may have and we offer advice on other services you can get in touch with if you feel you need an extra hand. We have the latest news articles concerning parenting and we also have discussion forums where other parents share their problems, advice and handy hints which have helped them.

Parenting facts

Are you concerned about your child's development or interested in your families health – this section is for you. From child development to toddler traumas, we we look at a range of topics that may be affecting you on a daily basis.

Click here to find out more! Understanding your father's influence

How does our relationship with our father shape us, in contrast to the mother-daughter relationship?

Your father's character, and his relationship with you, influences your identity strongly. It influences your ability to love and to trust, and the growth of a healthy sexuality and body image.

We've found that it's fathers who can really help a girl overcome an eating disorder, even more so than her mother.

The relationship with your mother affects many aspects of your character and emotional life, but the difference with your father is the impact he has on your identity, and the power he has to improve your confidence and the way you see yourself.

Does this affect our relationships with other men?

A daughter's first bonding with any man is with her father, and that imprints on her so strongly that any later relationships with men are filtered through that experience.

We often repeat what we know rather than what we want: we need 'familiar', even if it's unhealthy.

We subconsciously gravitate towards a man who treats us like our father treated our mother, or us.

So if your father wounded you somehow, you may gravitate towards unhealthy relationships.

How can we improve communication with our father?

Both daughter and father are uncomfortable with the fact that they can't understand each other's thought processes. Don't expect your father to relate to you as another woman would.

We set our husbands and fathers up to fail because we want them to respond with empathy as a girlfriend or as a mother does, and they can't.

Yet we can still have a very close relationship with them. Men understand love and trust, self-respect, self-esteem and intimacy. They just express it differently.

Why are there areas where we always seem to clash with our father, even as adults?

There will be patterns. Perhaps every time you talk about a particular issue, he treats you like you're 10, or he always brings up how he wanted you to get a PhD in English Literature.

It's usually a control issue. He wants to feel like a successful father, and he may feel he failed you. But, usually, his expectations and desires don't have anything to do with you: it's because he really wanted that PhD.

The trick is to recognise that, and learn to identify when he starts baiting you, so you can leave the conversation.

Fathers may want to be involved in our adult lives, but come across as needy or controlling. What can we do about it?

When a woman has a family of her own, her husband and children have to come first, and that's painful for her father.

He may feel that he needs something from his daughter that really she can't give him. It's not appropriate for you to fill the role of wife or mother to him.

I'm not saying that a daughter shouldn't care for her father, but you need to decide on your own terms about how much you can let your father in.

Otherwise everybody ends up miserable.

Some women have never felt close to their fathers, and eventually stop feeling the need for that closeness. Should they still try to bridge that gap, and is it possible?

Yes and yes. In your thirties and forties, you need to understand that your relationship with your father is born out of a primary need that he has to love you, and you have to love him.

If a daughter is very emotionally distant from her father, the chances are there's a history of some real hurt there.

You may think it's no longer significant, but, deep down, you are probably very interested because the part of you that didn't get the love, closeness, trust and encouragement from your father that you desperately needed is still there, even if you pretend otherwise.

Establishing a healthy, adult relationship with your father soothes that hurt, albeit subconsciously.

How can we do this?

The most important thing is for you to relate to your father as one adult to another.

If you can objectively look at your father as a man who, for some reason, didn't have the ability to love you or to communicate well, and approach him as an adult, you can embrace him better.

You need to be able to acknowledge your pain, rather than bury it, but also to stop expecting your father to heal those hurts.

What if our fathers are unreceptive to our overtures?

That's very difficult. There are some men who, because of their own life experiences, have shut down. If you reach out to your father and he doesn't respond, try to think, 'This isn't about me, this is my father's stuff.' A 15-year-old girl can't do that. Even an 18-year-old girl can't do that. But an adult daughter can.

There's a point when you have to say, 'There's nothing more I can do.' It's a painful reality for some women that their father is truly incapable of having a relationship. In such a case, you have to face that and grieve it as a significant loss. Even as an adult, you can't change your father.

But I hope women can see that if they didn't have a great relationship with their father, it doesn't mean their life is ruined. The truth is, all fathers disappoint their daughters, but that's OK.

It's about understanding what needs you had filled or didn't have filled by your father.

You need to acknowledge what was missing, and find elements in other relationships – with your partner, your siblings, your mother, your own children – that make you feel whole.

We can still live good lives, even if our father was less than perfect.

Depression

Depression affects all members of the population, from the very young to the very young and is a very complex condition which can be caused by life changes and even as a side effect from medication. Here you'll find information on the variations of the condition and both the psychological and medical treatments available to you. You can also share your stories and find support from other sufferers and charities.
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Depression facts

Here you'll find advice on common types of depression and anxiety. We look at everything from postnatal depression (PND) to stress.
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Ask the doctor

An archive of questions relevant to depression which our in-house GP has answered. Perhaps your question has already been asked and replied to?
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Treatments for depression

Here you'll find a selection of treatment options for depression.
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Latest depression news

Click here for the latest news on your medical condition or disease.
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Video

Here you'll find a selection of videos that provide information on all your health concerns.
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Support groups

These organisations offer a variety of services and support tailored to meet your needs.

Medicines by effect: cancer

In this section you'll find information about the different medicines for cancer. Don't forget this is only a guide – talk to your doctor or pharmacist if you've any questions about treatment.
Areas covered in cancer

Biological anti-cancer medicines

Chemotherapy medicines

Hormonal anti-cancer medicines

Other anti-cancer medicines

Supportive medicines used in treating cancer

Biological anti-cancer medicines

Afinitor (everolimus)
Arzerra (ofatumumab)
Avastin (bevacizumab)
Erbitux (cetuximab)
Glivec (imatinib)
Herceptin (trastuzumab)
Intron A (interferon alfa-2b)
Iressa (gefitinib)
MabCampath (alemtuzumab)
Mabthera (rituximab)
Nexavar (sorafenib)
Proleukin (aldesleukin)
Revlimid (lenalidomide)
Roferon-A (interferon alfa-2a)
Sprycel (dasatinib)
Sutent (sunitinib)
Tarceva (erlotinib)
Tasigna (nilotinib)
Torisel (temsirolimus)
Tyverb (lapatinib)
Vectibix (panitumumab)
Velcade (bortezomib)
Votrient (pazopanib)

Chemotherapy medicines

Alkeran (melphalan)
Amsidine (amsacrine)
BiCNU (carmustine)
Bleo-kyowa (bleomycin)
Busilvex (busulfan)
Caelyx (doxorubicin)
Campto (irinotecan)
Carboplatin
Chlormethine hydrochloride
Cisplatin
Cosmegen lyovac (dactinomycin)
Cyclophosphamide
Cytarabine
Dacarbazine
Daunorubicin
DaunoXome (daunorubicin)
DTIC-dome (dacarbazine)
Efudix (fluorouracil)
Eldisine (vindesine)
Eloxatin (oxaliplatin)
Eposin (etoposide)
Erwinase (crisantaspase)
Estracyt (estramustine)
Etopophos (etoposide)
Fludara (fludarabine)
Fluorouracil
Gemzar (gemcitabine)
Hycamtin (topotecan)
Hydrea (hydroxycarbamide)
Ifosfamide
Lanvis (tioguanine)
Leukeran (chlorambucil)
Leustat (cladribine)
Lomustine
Maxtrex (methotrexate)
Mitomycin C kyowa
Myleran (busulfan)
Navelbine (vinorelbine)
Nipent (pentostatin)
Oncovin (vincristine)
Onkotrone (mitoxantrone)
Pharmorubicin (epirubicin)
Procarbazine
Puri-nethol (mercaptopurine)
Taxol (paclitaxel)
Taxotere (docetaxel)
Temodal (temozolamide)
Thiotepa
Tomudex (raltitrexed)
Treosulfan
Uftoral (tegafur, uracil)
Uromitexan (mesna)
Velbe (vinblastine)
Vepesid (etoposide)
Xeloda (capecitabine)
Yondelis (trabectedin)
Zavedos (idarubicin)

Hormonal anti-cancer medicines

Arimidex (anastrazole)
Aromasin (exemestane)
Casodex (bicalutamide)
Cyprostat (cyproterone)
Decapeptyl SR (triptorelin)
Diethylstilbestrol
Fareston (toremifene)
Faslodex (fulvestrant)
Femara (letrozole)
Flutamide
Gonapeptyl depot (triptorelin)
Honvan tablets (fosfestrol tetrasodium)
Megace (megestrol)
Parlodel (bromocriptine)
Prostap 3 (leuprorelin)
Prostap SR (leuprorelin)
Sandostatin (octreotide)
Sandostatin LAR (octreotide)
Soltamox (tamoxifen)
Somatuline autogel (lanreotide)
Somatuline LA (lanreotide)
Suprefact (buserelin)
Tamoxifen tablets
Zoladex (goserelin)
Zoladex LA (goserelin)

Other anti-cancer medicines

Aldara cream (imiquimod)
Foscan (temoporfin)
Zevalin (ibritumomab)

Supportive medicines used in treating cancer
Anti-sickness medicines

Aloxi (palonosetron)
Buccastem (prochlorperazine)
Chlorpromazine
Dozic (haloperidol)
Emend (aprepitant)
Fentazin (perphenazine)
Haldol (haloperidol)
Kytril (granisetron)
Maxolon high dose (metoclopramide)
Maxolon injection (metoclopramide)
Maxolon SR (metoclopramide)
Maxolon tablets (metoclopramide)
Motilium (domperidone)
Nabilone
Nozinan (levomepromazine)
Ondemet (ondansetron)
Stelazine (trifluoperazine)
Stemetil (prochlorperazine)
Valoid injection (cyclizine)
Valoid tablets (cyclizine)
Vivadone (domperidone)
Zofran (ondansetron)
Zofran melt (ondansetron)
Zofran suppositories (ondansetron)

Bisphosphonates

Aredia (disodium pamidronate)
Bondronat (ibandronic acid)
Bonefos (sodium clodronate)
Loron (sodium clodronate)
Zometa (zoledronic acid)

Blood cell boosters

Aranesp (darbepoetin alfa)
Eprex (epoetin alfa)
Granocyte (lenograstim)
NeoRecormon (epoetin beta)
Neulasta (pegfilgrastim)
Neupogen (filgrastim)

Painkillers

Abstral tablets (fentanyl)
Actiq lozenges (fentanyl)
Cyclimorph (morphine, cyclizine)
DF118 forte (dihydrocodeine)
DHC continus (dihydrocodeine)
Diamorphine
Durogesic DTrans patches (fentanyl)
Effentora tablets (fentanyl)
Instanyl nasal spray (fentanyl)
Larapam SR (tramadol)
Mabron (tramadol)
Morphgesic SR tablets (morphine)
MST continus suspension (morphine)
MST continus tablets (morphine)
MXL capsules (morphine)
Oramorph (morphine)
Osmanil patches (fentanyl)
OxyContin (oxycodone)
OxyNorm (oxycodone)
Palladone (hydromorphone)
Palladone SR (hydromorphone)
PecFent nasal spray (fentanyl)
Sevredol tablets (morphine)
Targinact (oxycodone, naloxone)
Temgesic injection (buprenorphine)
Temgesic sublingual tablets (buprenorphine)
Tramacet (tramadol, paracetamol)
Tramake (tramadol)
Transtec (buprenorphine)
Tilofyl patches (fentanyl)
Zamadol (tramadol)
Zamadol 24hr (tramadol)
Zamadol SR (tramadol)
Zomorph capsules (morphine)
Zydol (tramadol)
Zydol SR (tramadol)
Zydol XL (tramadol)

Steroids

Deltacortril gastro-resistant tablets (prednisolone)
Deltastab injection (prednisolone)
Dexamethasone injection
Dexamethasone tablets
Dexsol solution (dexamethasone)

Other

Isovorin (folinic acid)
Refolinon (folinic acid)
Vesanoid (tretinoin)

Living with prostate cancer

A diagnosis of prostate cancer, the most common cancer affecting men in the UK, can be a terrible shock.

More than 37,000 men are diagnosed with this disease every year and 250,000 are living with it.

Dr Thomas Stuttaford, vice president of The Prostate Cancer Charity and patron of the Prostate Cancer Support Federation, discusses his own experience of prostate cancer and offers encouragement to other men with the condition.

After being diagnosed 14 years ago, Dr Stuttaford underwent immediate surgery and made a full recovery. Now, he still leads an active life, working as a journalist and speaking publicly for charity.

During Prostate Cancer Awareness Month, he wants to encourage other men into becoming more aware of prostate health and taking a more proactive approach to any problems.
Where is a man's prostate and what does it do?

'Only men have a prostate. It's a walnut-sized gland situated just below the bladder between the root of the penis and the anus. Its role is to make seminal fluid, which is mixed with sperm to make semen. Cancer can develop when cells in the prostate gland grow in an uncontrolled way.'
How did you find out you had prostate cancer?

'You shouldn't wait until you have symptoms of prostate cancer because this can be too long.

'After my elder brother William was diagnosed I had a prostate specific antigen (PSA) test, which picked up my cancer. Several men in my family, including my father and two uncles had developed this disease.

'Two-thirds of men at a raised risk of prostate cancer are unaware of the PSA test – a blood test measuring the level of a protein called PSA, produced in the prostate gland and found in small amounts in the blood.

'If, like me, you have a close relative who has had prostate cancer, it's advisable to request a PSA test if you are over 45.'
Does a raised PSA always indicate cancer?

'Don't panic if you're told that you have a raised PSA level because this doesn't necessarily mean that you have cancer – in fact three out of four men with this turn out to have other problems.

'In fact, my PSA result was relatively low. But my Gleason score, which indicated my cancer's malignancy, was dangerously high.

'Ultrasound and biopsy then confirmed that I had two cancers growing in my prostate – one in each lobe and much of the rest of the tissue in my prostate was pre-malignant (PIN).

'I opted to have immediate surgery followed by radiotherapy.'
Have treatments changed much since then?

'A radical prostatectomy was the only surgical option for my advanced cancer years ago; treatments like brachytherapy and robot assisted prostatectomies are widely used now.

'Techniques in surgery have been revolutionised with the advent of keyhole surgery and nerve sparing technique, resulting in better outcomes for patients.

'External beam radiotherapy (EBRT), then in development, is now more precise, computer-controlled and offers results comparable to surgery. However I wouldn't recommend it for advanced prostate cancer.

'High-intensity focused ultrasound to destroy tumours is now offered in a few hospitals.'
Do modern techniques mean men have a better chance or maintaining their potency?

'Increasing numbers of younger men are being diagnosed with prostate cancer, and over half who today have a radical prostatectomy can retain potency – the younger you are the better your chances.

'Although my sex life was affected by surgery, I don't regret it. As a doctor I realised that my life expectancy would have been around three to four years and that I would have been very ill for around half this time.

'If you're feeling gloomy at the prospect of treatment for prostate cancer – remember that there's no sex in the grave.'
Can you still live a rich life with cancer?

'I wrote my first piece for The Times on the day I came out of intensive care – within 48 hours of surgery, propped up my hospital bed.

'Although my surgery was successful, as had been predicted, I suffered a recurrence of the cancer about six years later.

'I was then treated with radiation and hormone treatment and neither made any difference to my quality of life.

'I went for radiation treatment at 8.30am, saw my own NHS and private patients from 9am to 1pm, continued to write for The Times and went to lectures and parties in the evenings. I still have hormone treatment.'
Do you take more care to be healthy now?

'I take a brisk half-an-hour walk and try to eat five portions of fresh fruit and vegetables, especially tomatoes, every day.

'I take a multivitamin, containing selenium and the supplement Lyc-O-mato, as there has been research showing that lycopene, the powerful antioxidant found in tomatoes, can help prevent and fight prostate cancer.

'I feel fortunate to have celebrated my 50th wedding anniversary and still be playing with my four grandchildren.'

Cancer

Cancer affects nearly one in every three people in the population. This health centre has all the information you need on this disease and the most up to date archive on medical and information to help inform you on your disease which you or a loved one may have been diagnosed with. You also have the opportunity to find support on the discussion forums from those in a similar situation and make contact with relevant charities.

Cancer is the development of abnormal cells that the body cannot control. It can affect all parts of the body, which means some types are exclusive to women and others affect only men. Early diagnosis is the key to getting the right treatment.

Brain and nervous system

The brain is a very complex thing and has a huge amount of control on how we interact with the world. Here we have factsheets on the brain and those conditions which come into effect when there is a problem with the brain and nervous system. We also have the current available treatment and medicine to help alleviate the symptoms.

Brain and nervous system facts