When it comes to prostate cancer men are confused. I certainly was. There’s so much uncertainty surrounding the diagnosis and treatment it’s enough to scare most men.

Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men in the UK. More than 35,000 men are diagnosed each year.

After my diagnosis seven years ago I chose to have surgery to remove my prostate. But what happens next?

For women who have surgery for breast cancer the next step is usually radiotherapy. But for men, what to do after surgery is a grey area. Should a watch and wait game be played closely following PSA levels? Or should radiotherapy automatically be given after surgery no matter what a man’s PSA levels are?

To find answers to these questions, we look to clinical trials to help test the options and establish the best treatments. Cancer Research UK and the Medical Research Council are running a clinical trial called RADICALS for men who have had surgery to remove their prostate. The trial plans to find answers. And in the future we can only hope that the best possible advice and treatment will be available for all men.

The trial is running at a number of hospitals in Dorset, including Dorset County Hospital, Royal Bournemouth Hospital and Poole Hospital. Anyone who is interested in finding out more about the trial can contact their local cancer treatment hospital or GP.

Denis Law