Pelican Cancer Foundation
Driving innovation in precision surgery for bowel cancer (colorectal),bladder cancer, prostate cancer and liver cancer treatment throughresearch and training.
We run courses and research for multi-disciplinary cancer teams(MDTs: surgeons, oncologists, radiologists, pathologists and nurses).
THANK YOU for your essential generous donations, fundraising and volunteering.
Pelican supports HIFU trials for prostate cancer patients
Pelican Cancer Foundation is supporting the latest studies into the treatment of early prostate cancer using High Intensity Focused Ultrasound (HIFU).
Clinical trials are currently under way at Basingstoke and North Hampshire Hospital to establish the effectiveness of HIFU therapy, a minimally invasive ultrasound treatment for localised prostate cancer which has already shown promising results.
HIFU can be used either to treat the whole prostate, or specific areas of cancer within the gland using focal therapy. It involves precision focusing of ultrasound waves which rapidly heat and destroy cancerous cells, without affecting healthy tissue surrounding the prostate gland. The technology allows the urologist to directly monitor and control the treatment.
Consultant Urological Surgeon Mr Richard Hindley introduced HIFU to Basingstoke, with support from Pelican which paid for the initial HIFU equipment at the hospital and continues to fund one of the clinical trials.
Pelican chief executive Sarah Crane said: “This charity has been delighted to support the HIFU therapy as we believe this research will be invaluable for the continuing development of prostate cancer treatment in the future.”
- For more on this ground-breaking work, see the film below from That’s Hampshire TV.
Cancer teams praise Scottish SPECC course
Edinburgh was the most recent location for Pelican’s national SPECC training programme into early stage bowel cancer.
Almost 100 clinicians from 15 Scottish hospitals, and one from Denmark, convened at the Royal College of Surgeons for the conference into Significant Polyp Early Colorectal Cancer (SPECC).
Developed and funded by the Pelican Cancer Foundation charity, this was the 10th SPECC course to be held in Britain for multi-disciplinary cancer teams (MDT).
SPECC aims to increase awareness of the particular problems posed by removing pre-cancerous growths and earlier stage bowel cancers. It advises on the strategic approaches to their treatment, including the referral of complex cases to a specialised unit and greater collaboration between cancer specialists.
The faculty was led by consultant colorectal surgeon Mr Brendan Moran, with presentations given by a surgeon, pathologist, radiologist, oncologist and gastroenterologist.
“It was an excellent course with a great range of topics covered,” said one delegate.
Another commented: “It was an exciting meeting with valuable information for MDT managers.”
SPECC programme courses will also be held in Cambridge, Liverpool, Bristol and Wales.
Click the image below for further information on SPECC.
