If They’d Listened Sooner”: Cancer Patient 6 Month GP Delay May Have Changed Diagnosis

A Surrey man whose father and son both had prostate cancer says his own diagnosis might have been very different if his early concerns had been taken seriously.

Harry Elson, 79, from Guildford, was diagnosed after pushing repeatedly for further tests when his prostate specific antigen, known as PSA, rose sharply and he began suffering groin pain.

His father, John, died from prostate cancer. His son Jeremy, now 59, was treated early and cured because doctors acted quickly due to the family history. Mr Elson believes the same urgency was not shown in his case.

He says that if he had received an MRI scan and biopsy sooner, he would not be facing the treatment journey he is now enduring.

PSA levels doubled and GP dismissed pain

Mr Elson said he first approached his doctor because he knew prostate cancer ran in his family.

“I went to the doctor and said look, I’ve got a family history here, can you give me a test,” he said.

For years, his PSA remained low. But later, he saw it rise rapidly.

“It doubled, and then it doubled again. I said to my doctor I had a groin pain. He said do not worry about that, it is nothing to do with that,” he said.

The pain intensified in his prostate area. Mr Elson insisted on another test. A different GP then reviewed his symptoms and referred him immediately for further investigation.

Son treated early because of family history

Jeremy Elson said doctors responded very differently when his PSA rose.

He was sent for an MRI and biopsy straight away because clinicians recognised the significance of the family history.

“They discovered it because of their interventions as early as one can discover prostate cancer, and in my case I have been cured,” he said.

Read More: Cricket Failed Him”: Thorpe’s Widow Reveals 3 Unanswered

Diagnosis has devastated the family

The news has shaken the family deeply.

Harry’s wife, Margaret, 72, said she struggles more with the diagnosis than her husband does.

“I deal with it much worse than Harry. He is very philosophical about it and I am really so angry for him. He is so positive, so energetic, I do not know how he keeps it going sometimes,” she said.

“This could have been stopped if we had realised that he should have pushed a bit more at the GP.”

She added that while others face more severe conditions, her focus is on her own husband.

“I care about Harry and the family,” she said.

Turning his experience into something positive

Mr Elson has written a book detailing the realities of living with prostate cancer. All proceeds will go to the Prostate Project, a Guildford based charity that supports the Royal Surrey County Hospital, St Luke’s Cancer Centre, Frimley Park Hospital and the Oncology Research Group at the University of Surrey.