Planned £2.5m centre aims to reduce diagnosis times for urological cancers

Two north-east cancer charities have teamed up to deliver a unit aimed at delivering faster diagnosis for urological cancers.

UCAN and Friends of ANCHOR have partnered up on a fundraising mission of £2.5 million to bring the centre to Aberdeen Royal Infirmary (ARI) in January.

Urological cancers include bladder, kidney, penile, prostate and testicular cancer.

The SURE unit - which stands for Swift Urological Response and Evaluation - will enable patients to be seen quicker and have all scans and diagnostic tests carried out during a single visit to the hospital.

UCAN launched its fundraising efforts in April this year with £400,000 already secured.

Now, Friends of ANCHOR has pledged to match the fundraising as a 50% partner for the project.

50% increase in referrals in five years

UCAN Chair and ARI urological consultant Justine Royle said the SURE Unit will help double the number of patients who can be treated in the urological unit.

She said: “The centre aims to significantly reduce the time to diagnosis, which will improve treatment outcomes and reduce anxiety for patients and their families.

“There has been a 50% increase in the number of people referred with a suspected urological cancer in the last five years, and the current service provisions is not equipped to deal with the demand.

“The SURE Unit will further enhance Aberdeen Royal Infirmary as a hub of excellence for the diagnosis and treatment of urological cancers, while making more effective use of clinicians’ time and helping attract the best medical practitioners to our region.”

"Too many people are waiting too long for treatment"

One in every five men will be diagnosed with a urological cancer and if diagnosed too late, it can advance to a stage where it cannot be cured.

The fundraising efforts by both charities will set up the facility - which will be used by both men and women.

It will also be used to purchase diagnostic equipment and recruit more staff.

Additionally, there are hopes surgery capacity will be improved with the increased adoption of an innovative new laser treatment which can be done using local anaesthetic rather than general anaesthetic.

The procedure, known as TULA, takes 15 minutes and patients can go home the same day.

Friends of ANCHOR’s chairman Sir Jim Milne said: “We’re delighted to be working with UCAN in a unique collaboration aimed at changing the story for people who are diagnosed with a urological cancer in the north of Scotland.

“Too many people are waiting too long for treatment and we’re determined to help change that. This new unit will be an international standard, one-stop facility for anyone with symptoms of a suspected urological cancer.”

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