Midcheshire Independent Issue 182

AUGUST 2025 14 Independent HEALTH & WELLBEING TWO brothers are cele- brating the end of success- ful treatment after being diagnosed with prostate cancer within a month of each other. Glen Wood, 61, and Russell Wood, 66, were treated by the same team at The Chris- tie NHS Foundation Trust, a specialist cancer centre in Manchester. Both Glenn’s and Rus- sell’s cancers are under con- trol and their consultant is hopeful they’ll need no fur- ther treatment. Glenn, a vehicle engineer, who lives with Deborah, his wife of 40 years, was the first to be diagnosed. He went to see his GP because he noticed that he was getting up to wee several times a night, even though he hadn’t been drink- ing much. Glenn had a blood test to check his prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels. PSA is a protein produced by the prostate gland, and a high- er-than-normal level (typi- cally above four nanograms of PSA per litre of blood) can be a sign of prostate cancer. Glenn’s score was 60. He had three scans and a biopsy to confirm it was can- cer and was diagnosed with aggressive prostate cancer in September last year. Glenn says: “I didn’t know it was prostate cancer, but I knew something wasn’t right, so I went to see the GP about it. That would be my mes- sage to other men – you know your body best and should get checked if you’re worried. “From my GP appoint- ment right through to my treatment at The Christie, I can’t fault how I was treated. Every thing happened quickly, and everyone I met was so kind and supportive,” he says. “The fantastic care I received made a difficult time that much easier.” As Glenn’s cancer was aggressive, he needed treat- ment straight away. He was treated with hormone therapy to lower his levels of testosterone. Prostate cancer cells depend on tes- tosterone to grow, so by lowering the levels, you can shrink the tumour or stop it from growing. After finishing hormone Successful treatment: Glenn and Russell Wood outside The Christie (Photo credit: Christina Chalkia and Robbie Venn) ‘Get checked if you’re worried’ Brothers’ message after double prostate cancer diagnosis FIGURES have shown that more than one in four people suffer from or have had acne. The skin condition can come in various guises such as whiteheads, blackheads and pimples, all of which can lower a person’s self-esteem about their appearance. Water alone does not remove dirt or dead skin cells and to keep your complexion glowing it should be cared for twice a day. Here are ten top tips on how to improve your appearance: ● Wash your hands before you wash your skin to minimise getting additional oil onto your face ● Never use shower gel on your face. Invest in a mild foaming facewash, and use it morning and night ● After exercising always wash your face as it helps to reduce the likelihood of spots developing ● Use a face scrub twice a week to really go with the glow ● Stay away from heavily perfumed or fragranced face products as these can irritate the skin ● For oily and acne-prone skin, opt for a clay face mask once a week. This will help draw out impurities. Yes, sometimes it can bring on spots, however, it is a sign of toxins leaving the body ● Never wash your face vigorously ● Invest in a face cloth and not a flannel as they are finer and kinder to your skin ● Always splash your face with cold water after cleans- ing to close the pores from which you have removed dirt, and then pat dry on a clean hand towel ● Drink more water. Keeping the largest organ of the body (skin) hydrated will help flush toxins out of your body and enhance your new fresh-faced look. By drinking more water, HITTING THE SPOT therapy, Glenn’s PSA levels had dropped from 60ng/l to just 0.57 ng/ml. He also had radiotherapy at The Chris- tie’s local radiotherapy centre in Salford. Following his diagnosis, Glenn has been advocating for the men in his life to be more aware of their pros- tate health. In addition to encouraging his brother to get a PSA test, he reckons he’s encouraged nearly two- thirds of his colleagues to discuss their prostate health with their GP. He says: “Men are rub- bish at speaking up when something’s wrong, and that needs to change. If I had put off going to the doctor any longer, my cancer might not have been as treatable as it was – and that doesn’t bear thinking about. “That’s one of the reasons I’m sharing my story – to raise awareness and encour- age men to be more open with each other.” Unlike his brother, Rus- sell – a retired air systems engineer and grandfather of five– had no symptoms. Thanks to Glenn telling him to get checked after his own diagnosis, Russell’s can- cer was caught earlier and so was less aggressive. As a result, he needed less treat- ment – just radiotherapy. He had his last session in May. He says: “When Glenn told me he had prostate cancer, it absolutely floored me. So then to be told I had the same thing was a shock – I really wasn’t expecting it. I’m so glad he encouraged me to get tested, because other- wise I’d have had cancer and not known. “In a way, I’m glad we were both diagnosed so close together, as we’ve known what each other was going through and could support one another. We both had our radiotherapy at The Christie’s local centre in Salford and are under the same consult- ant, Dr Serra.” Glenn also believes having his brother there helped him through his treatment. He says: “We were able to talk openly about what was going on, knowing the other one just got it. When I had my first radiotherapy session, I mentioned to the team that they’d be seeing my brother the week after, and they said they’d never treated two sib- lings at the same time before. “Russ came to watch me ring the bell at the end of treatment, and I went to watch him – it was emotional for both of us.” Dr Maria Serra, Glenn and Russ’s consultant at The Christie, says: “Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men, but it’s the first time I’ve treated two brothers at the same time. “It’s important that all men are aware of the symp- toms – including peeing more frequently, especially at night, needing to rush to the toilet, and difficulty starting to pee. I’d encourage anyone who is worried about their prostate health to go and speak to their GP.” you are helping your body look beautiful from the inside out There’s a wide variety of acne medications available over the counter and on pre- scription. These can be effec- tive in helping to reduce oil production, increasing skin cell turnover, and lowering inflammation. Treatment for acne is based on its severity, so it may take many weeks or months to see improvements, but dovetailing medication with an established skin care routine should mean skin will go from drab to fab more quickly.