Reader's Letters
Posted by Concept2 News on the 29th of March 2006
Mike Henley: I hadn't seen the article in the Times by Andy Ripley (http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2094-1838551,00.html). I'm sorry to hear about his diagnosis but it's good to see that he's taken the sort of approach we'd all expect of a rugby player. I hope that again it's not just about the projection of an image. I don't think I'd be quite as brave as he is, although none of us know how we'll cope when it comes to us. Just a small point but my job as a Consultant Urologist allowed me to spot that you've made the classical error and called the disease prostrate cancer. It's actually prostate without the second r! It's got nothing to do with rowing but I'm introducing (along with some other urologists) a new treatment for early prostate cancer, which can cure the disease but has lower rates of complications in doing so. It's brilliant therefore, that Andy has tried to raise the profile, as the people we need to treat are those with PSAs just outside the normal range. The treatment has such a low rate of complications that it may even make screening for prostate cancer in younger men feasible. Something that would have clearly benefited Andy if it had have been available.Thanks to everybody who pointed out the prostrate/prostate mistake, which highlights the problem of relying solely on your computer's spell chequer. For those of you who missed the last newsletter, former rugby union international and indoor rowing legend Andy Ripley was diagnosed with prostate cancer last year. In order to raise some funds, a gang of indoor rowers will be taking part in events including a 24-hour row and a 50k team relay race this weekend at the TCR Show in Esher, Surrey. For more information on the row, visit http://www.justgiving.com/rippersrow/. For more information on the TCR Show, read the following article…