Suffolk man back to 'enjoying life' thanks to new Cambridge kidney clinic
Patients with suspected kidney cancer can get diagnosed and discuss treatment on the same day
A man from Suffolk is telling us how a new clinic at Addenbrooke's Hospital in Cambridge has given him new hope.
Ken Pottle, 63, from Bury St Edmunds visited the clinic in March after a scan for an unrelated condition showed a lump on his kidney.
After a biopsy and a diagnosis of cancer, Ken opted for thermal ablation treatment which uses heat to destroy tumours before being given the all-clear five months later.
"Whenever you get a diagnosis, it's always a little worrying and having the opportunity to have the diagnosis there and then, and make a plan going forward, relieves your stress a lot so you're able to get on and plan for the future," he said.
"I’m back at work and enjoying life, spending time with my children and grandchildren, and getting back on my motorbike; the whole process has been brilliant.”
One-stop clinic
At the one-stop clinic, patients with suspected kidney cancer can have a biopsy, receive a diagnosis and discuss treatment options on the same day.
By doing this, Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Trust (CUH) say it's halving waiting times for patients by a month using a confocal microscope.
The £250,000 microscope - funded by Addenbrooke's Charitable Trust and the University of Cambridge - provides high resolution images of tissue samples.
Once a sample is stained and scanned by the equipment, pathologists at the kidney clinic can make an immediate diagnosis.
CUH believes this can reduce anxiety, cut the number of hospital visits and allow patients to begin treatment sooner.
Ken, 63, said because of the speed of treatment, "you don't have the time to dwell on it.
"It's got to be better for the hospital as well because the less chance there is for people hitting a hurdle, such as they can't get in or another emergency appointment coming up," Ken added.
"If it can be applied to lots of other types of conditions, it would be fantastic."
Patients on the typical multi-appointment pathway waited 55 days between first being referred and a decision being made about treatment, while patients at the one-stop kidney clinic waited 25 days.
Researchers found a 91.7% match between the diagnoses made using a confocal microscope and standard pathology tests, while diagnoses in the other 8.3% of cases found the cancer subtype was uncertain.
“For the first time in the UK, we are using a confocal microscope in this innovative way to benefit patients," Professor Grant Stewart, consultant urologist at Addenbrooke’s Hospital and professor of surgical oncology at the University of Cambridge said.
"Offering same day diagnosis helps reduce anxiety, cuts down on hospital appointments and means patients can have that all-important discussion with their doctor about treatment options significantly sooner.”