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Man praises ultrasound treatment that saved him

Family handout/PA Stuart Emerson standing on the beach beside his wife Claudia. He has short white hair and is wearing a light-blue collared shirt, smiling at the camera. Claudia has shoulder-length blonde hair and is wearing red lipstick, also smiling at the camera. Behind them the sun is setting on the horizon and the whole sky is lit up orange.Family handout/PA
Stuart Emerson said he owes his life to "miracle" radiation treatment

A man who was diagnosed with cancer twice in just over a year has praised a new non-invasive ultrasound treatment which saved his life after enduring the "hell" of chemotherapy.

Stuart Emerson, 60, from Gloucestershire, was diagnosed with tonsil cancer in August 2022 and later developed prostate cancer in November 2023.

There is now no evidence of the disease after undergoing a new high intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) at the Royal United Hospitals Bath NHS Foundation Trust (RUH).

Mr Emerson is advocating for early detection and HIFU rollouts, hoping to spare others from invasive cancer treatments and long recovery periods.

Family handout/PA A close up picture of Mr Emerson's neck following radiation treatment. He is lying in bed wearing a blue t-shirt. The skin around his neck looks dry, sore and red.Family handout/PA
Mr Emerson's skin became "sore and red" after undergoing six weeks of radiotherapy

Mr Emerson initially "thought nothing" of his symptoms in the summer of 2022, which merely felt like "a crisp or peanut stuck in [his] throat".

Further testing then revealed Mr Emerson had tonsil cancer caused by a type of human papillomavirus (HPV).

Following two rounds of "horrendous" chemotherapy and six weeks of radiotherapy in early 2023, there was no evidence of cancer remaining.

"I lost loads of weight, I wasn't eating properly, I felt sick, I had ulcers in my mouth. It was hell," he said.

"There's a photo of me ringing the bell at the end and I look like a skeleton."

Family handout/PA Mr Emerson wearing a blue t-shirt underneath a dark grey zip-up hoodie. He is ringing a silver bell which is attached to the wall in a hospital. He is smiling at the camera but looks thin and tired.Family handout/PA
Mr Emerson rang the hospital bell in November 2022 to symbolise the end of his radiation treatment

However, a year later he was diagnosed with prostate cancer and faced the prospect of having a prostatectomy - a surgery to remove the prostate - which can result in urinary incontinence and erectile dysfunction.

Fearing that he "might not be around" to see his children get married, Mr Emerson said he went into "fight mode".

"I wanted to be part of our children's lives, and their children's lives," he said.

"I think when you're in your 50s and 60s, that's too young to die. There's so much to live for."

After researching alternative options, Mr Emerson discovered the HIFU unit at RUH Bath, which opened in December 2023, and managed to secure a referral.

Family handout/PA A composite of two images. On the left, Mr Emerson is sitting in a hospital bed, looking at the camera with a blue mask tucked beneath his chin. He is getting ready to undergo the ultrasound treatment. On the right is him following the treatment, smiling and looking much healthier. He is stood in a hospital in front of a large window beside two doctors on either side of him. He is holding up a white t-shirt that reads 'Prost8'. Family handout/PA
Mr Emerson underwent the "amazing" ultrasound treatment in September 2024

The equipment, funded by Prost8 and the UK Focused Ultrasound Foundation, integrates advanced image-guided capabilities and ultrasound energy to precisely target the prostate cancer without any incisions or radiation, therefore sparing nearby healthy structures.

"HIFU isn't suitable for everyone but I was excited about it, the technology and the medical advances are amazing," Mr Emerson said.

"I was just relieved that we didn't have to use knives and there were no side effects for me.

"It's cutting-edge and I guess I'd say it's a miracle treatment. It was fate."

Family handout/PA Stuart Emerson and his wife Claudia celebrating Christmas in 2024. They are sitting at a table and holding their glasses of pink champagne in the air. He is wearing a white shirt and a black blazer, while she is dressed in a black dress with silver bows and a black jacket. On the table there are gold crackers laying on the plates, and the room is decorated with candles and black and gold balloons.Family handout/PA
Mr Emerson says he is "looking forward to a great 2025" following his recovery

There are currently only four full-time NHS HIFU units in the UK but there will hopefully be two more by the second quarter of 2025, along with 10 HIFU units in the private sector.

Mr Emerson is now working alongside Prost8 to campaign for the expansion of HIFU units across the country.

"Men need to wise up and get checked," Mr Emerson continued.

"I think men are a problem when it comes to dealing with this sort of thing, but if you can't do it for yourself, do it for the people who love you."

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