07/08/2026
"I knew I had a difficult and critical journey ahead of me."
When Phelim Warren was diagnosed with aggressive, inoperable prostate cancer, he faced one of the toughest challenges of his life. Today, almost three years later, he is sharing his story of hope, resilience and gratitude for the team at St Luke's Radiation Oncology Network who cared for him every step of the way.
Thank you, Phelim, for allowing us to share your inspiring journey. We hope your words bring comfort and encouragement to others facing cancer treatment.
"I was referred to St Luke’s for 39 sessions of aggressive radiotherapy for Gleason Score 9, aggressive and inoperable prostate cancer. My initial diagnosis was on 21st September 2023, with a further PET scan revealing that the cancer had spread to my pelvic and inaccessible lymph nodes, making it inoperable. As well as radiotherapy, I was put on a 2–3 year course of hormone treatment in the form of a quarterly Prostap injection from 14th October and daily tablets called Abiraterone a couple of weeks later. I knew I had a difficult and critical journey ahead of me.
My 39 sessions of radiotherapy began on 5th December 2023. I was immediately struck by the positivity, decency, warmth and genuineness of the radiation therapists who treated me. I was slightly concerned about what was in store for me, but that disappeared immediately as I was helped through the painless (other than holding onto a full bladder!) process. Everything was explained to me, and I was shown how best to receive my treatment.
All the staff remembered my name in no time, as well as my personal story and family life too – testament to their genuine interest in their patients and the fact that they listened and remembered things about me. I felt so at ease with each passing day at St Luke’s, and I laughed often, both with staff and fellow recipients of radiation.
I was, however, struck by seeing and meeting other patients whose situations were worse than mine, and also by how many people were younger than me (I was 57 when I began my treatment). This gave me a real sense of perspective about both my life and my cancer journey, and that perspective stays with me always and will for the rest of my life.
I never felt my sessions were a chore or that I dreaded attending St Luke’s. I forged bonds with other patients who attended at the same time as me on so many occasions. We had each other’s backs and encouraged one another to find and keep a positive mindset. The staff also helped me immensely in maintaining that positive mindset.
Before I knew it, on 31st January 2024, I had my 39th and final radiotherapy session. I felt a real sense of achievement in getting there and an overwhelming sense of gratitude to every single member of the radiation therapist team, who made me feel so important and displayed incredible dedication, professionalism, care and interest. I honestly felt slightly regretful that I wouldn’t be coming back!
It’s 2nd August 2026 as I write this, almost three years after my experiences at St Luke’s. I’m so happy and grateful to report that the combination of two years of hormone treatment and the 39 sessions at St Luke’s worked for me.
My PSA at diagnosis was 10. By April 2024, it had plummeted to
