A surgeon receiving palliative care for stage four prostate cancer has urged men to get checked. Dad-of-two Gareth Jones, 55, was given the devastating diagnosis in June 2021.
Gareth, an Endourological surgeon with NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, was recently recognised for pioneering work, which saw him bring new kidney stone operation practices to the West of Scotland while training new surgeons in modern procedures. He worked at the Glasgow Royal Infirmary for nearly 20 years but is now signed off.
One in eight men get prostate cancer. Gareth said: "I have got stage four prostate cancer, so it’s all about managing it now. For me, as a surgeon you sometimes think you can cope with most things but getting this news was very, very difficult.
"I had an accelerated diagnosis so it all happened very quickly. If I’m being honest I’m still processing it now.
“There are so many factors you don’t really consider or think about, there are the obvious physical impacts but there are so many psychological aspects to this too. I have been really well supported by friends and colleagues, with the input of the palliative care team and psychologists at Maggie’s [cancer charity] too.
“It’s so vital that men get checked, it's simple and relatively painless. If prostate cancer is caught early then you have so much more of a better chance of cure
"Getting checked for prostate cancer should be front and centre when it comes to men’s health. I’m not currently working, so what I have been doing recently is supporting the Prostate Cancer UK Scotland Hub with the view of helping out whenever I am able to.
"This involves raising awareness and looking for opportunities to get stands back in hospitals following the pandemic and also educate our partners in General Practice.”
Gareth, from Cambuslang, South Lanarkshire, has raised over £4,400 for the charity, covering over 180 miles, swimming, cycling, running and walking back in January. He said: “I was looking to do some fundraising in January for lifesaving research and support for men and their families affected by prostate cancer.
'I planned to do the distance of a marathon over the month. But I got a bit carried away and did a bit more than that.
"I have a triathlon and Ironman history, so I decided I would do an iron man over the month. I ended up getting that finished within a week so I just carried on adding more to the challenge.
“I would meet friends and we’d cycle or do a bit of running. I remember one Friday going to the pool at Tollcross and completing a 1.9km swim. I also went on the heritage park in East Kilbride with my wife and friends and cycled at Whitelee Windfarm too.
"I travelled to Switzerland for work at one point and used that as an opportunity to walk down the mountains.”
Last month, Gareth was honoured by the British Association of Urological Surgeons with the inaugural Silver Ureteroscope Award, for his dedication to endourology training in Glasgow and the west of Scotland since his own training back in 1997.
Gareth received the award at the annual BAUS endourology meeting in Southampton and admits it all came as a bit of a shock.
He said: “I was really surprised to learn that I was going to be given the award as it’s the first time they have given it out, so I wasn’t even aware of it.
“When I was training I noticed that there was a need for advanced kidney stone operations and a more formal stone service in Glasgow and the West of Scotland so became really interested in learning all I could and passing that on to others.
“I didn’t really know how to respond to the award, it’s really humbling.”
