Around one in eight men in the UK will be diagnosed with prostate cancer, making it currently the most common cancer diagnosis in the UK. In most cases, prostate cancer is a slow-growing cancer and can be effectively treated with surgery. Using technological advancements to perform surgery, including robotics, mean that functional and cancer outcomes for prostate cancer surgery have significantly improved over the last decade. 

Here, we will take a closer look at prostate cancer, its treatment and outcomes.

Robotic systems have reshaped kidney surgery, yet one decision still makes a difference to results: the route surgeons take to reach the kidney. For selected patients, approaching the tumour directly through the back of the abdomen can shorten recovery, reduce pain and protect bowel function. That route is the retroperitoneal approach, and it is central to how I deliver kidney-sparing surgery using modern, minimally invasive and robot-assisted surgical techniques.