Stuart Hopgood survived prostate cancer | needle-point biopsy |Trelstar | Erieada | TURP Surgery
- 17 hours ago
- 10 min read
DESCRIPTION
Prior to his 2025 prostate cancer diagnosis, Stuart Hopgood experienced no symptoms. But a visit to his general practitioner included blood work, which revealed a PSA of 74.2! Stuart was referred to a urologist, who called for a needle-point biopsy. The biopsy not only showed Stuart that he had Stage IV prostate cancer, but that it had metastasized to his pelvic area, a rib and his clavicle. He put on Trelstar, a form of hormonal therapy, six weeks of radiation therapy and Erieada, a form of oral chemotherapy. While Stuart will never be cured, this regimen successfully addressed not only the cancer in his prostate, but the cells that had metastasized.
Stuart thought he was in good health. He was an avid golfer and at that point, the worst one could say about his health was that he experienced frequent urination at night. But when I went in for his annual physical, the blood work showed his astronomic PSA. At first, his doctor thought that high number might be due to some sort of infection and prescribed antibiotics. They brought down the PSA somewhat, but Stuart’s GP sent him to a urologist, who ordered a scan and a physical examination. That was enough to warrant a needle point biopsy, which indicated Stuart had Stage IV prostate cancer.
The urologist called for a PET scan to confirm the staging of the cancer. He also introduced a hormone-based therapy with the drug Trelstar. The PET scan showed the cancer had spread into the pelvic area, his clavicle and one of his ribs. At that point, his care was turned over to a radiation oncologist. The urologist then recommended a combination of radiation therapy and oral chemotherapy. The pill was a new drug, Erieada. Meanwhile, the Trelstar was injected into a muscle three times a month. The radiation took place in 26 sessions over a six-week period.
The urologist said there was no cure for Stuart’s cancer because it was Stage IV and because with a Gleason score of eight, it was quite aggressive. The urologist said this regimen could extend Stuart’s life.
The oral chemotherapy was not as invasive as chemotherapy administered through a port, but Stuar said the worst part was the fatigue, which he said could not be aided by sleep. He completed his radiation treatment in August 2025, but from it he still suffers aching muscles and hot flashes.
As the treatment went on, progress was made. In March 2026, his PSA had plummeted to just about zero and all the cancer cells that had metastasized were brought under control.
Meanwhile, scar tissue associated with the radiation had impeded normal urinary function. To combat that, Stuart underwent a successful surgical procedure called TURP surgery. He still urinates frequently at night and there is some pain tied to the nerve endings in his urinary canal.
Overall, Stuart Hopgood is thankful for overcoming so much and being afforded time to spend with his wife, children and grandchildren.
Additional Resources:
Support Group:
The Cancer Association of South Africa https://www.cansa.org.za
TRANSCRIPT
Bruce Morton: Greetings. This is the @CancerInterviews podcast, and I am your host, prostate cancer survivor Bruce Morton. Our guest on this episode was hit with some daunting numbers leading to his journey with prostate cancer, but he is very much alive and well and here to tell his story. He is Stuart Hopwood of Cape Town, South Africa, and Stuart, from one prostate acncer survivor to another, welcome to Cancer Interviews.
Stuart Hopwood: Bruce, thanks very much. Really appreciate it.
BM: Stuart, before we get into your cancer journey, we would like to learn a bit about your life away from cancer. If you would, briefly tell us a bit about where you are from, what you have done for work and what you like to do for fun.
SH: I am a Capetonian, born and bred. My career choices were in marketing. I have spent forty years of my life in senior levels of marketing. I have worked with some of the top level brands that are South African-based. For fun, I like trying to play golf, with the emphasis on trying, and I have a family of three children and two grandchildren.
BM: For all of us diagnosed with cancer, there was that point in time, when you discovered something wrong with your health, a discovery that led to a diagnosis. For you, when was that point and how did it manifest itself?
SH: Funny enough, Bruce, I didn’t notice anything that was off in my regular health. It was the bank of annual blood tests that my GP performed, and they came back with a PSA of 74.2. He called me urgently and suggested I come see him. I felt fine up to that point.
BM: So, what happened after that, that resulted in prostate cancer being indicated?
SH: Well, he prescribed some antibiotics, thinking there was some form of infection, which dropped the PSA slightly. He then set me up with a urologist. I underwent some tests with the urologist, a scan and a physical examination. Then he immediately scheduled a needle point biopsy.
BM: And what did the biopsy tell you?
SH: It indicated I had Stage IV cancer. It also revealed the peripheral edges of the cancer were not defined and that the cancer had spread. What followed was a PET scan to determine the staging of the cancer. He also introduced the hormone therapy, which included the drug Trelstar and booked me in for a PET scan. It showed the cancer had spread into the pelvic area, the clavicle and one of my ribs. Thereafter, I was referred to a radiation oncologist who took over my care.
BM: Stuart, it doesn’t matter what kind of cancer you are talking about. Stage IV is Stage IV. Each diagnosis and each patient is its own equation. Given those variables, how did you handle this awful news?
SH: I was shocked. I was feeling fine and it was the last thing I expected. My wife was with me and she requested permission from the oncologist and the urologist to record our meetings, because I admit I didn’t recall much. It was a blur and took me awhile to realize what was going on with me. I was in a state of shock before I really settled in. My wife was obviously very upset. I didn’t have much emotion other than being completely shocked.
BM: By the way, we hope you will find time to like and subscribe to our channel, and if you hit the bell icon, that way you will be notified anytime we post an interview. We also want to remind you that Cancer Interviews is not a source of medical advice. If you or a loved seek medical advice, please contact a licensed health care professional.
Now, Stuart, you had mentioned a recommendation you had received from your care team, but with prostate cancer, perhaps more so than with many other types of cancer, many times when someone is diagnosed, they are afforded numerous treatment options. Did you have treatment options?
SH: Yes, Bruce. There were three treatment options that my oncologist discussed with me. Obviously, the urologist had started with the hormone therapy, in his words to buy us time to get a better grip on how advanced the cancer was. He then gave me the recommendation of radiation therapy and oral chemotherapy. It is called the erieada drug, which is a new drug. So, the first stage was to be in addition to the hormone therapy was to be Trelstar, an injection into the muscle three times a month, then the radiation took place for 26 sessions over a six-week period.
BM: The decision to go with this regimen. Was it a difficult decision?
SH: When it was pointed out which options were available to me, the urologist said my Stage IV diagnosis cannot be cured because I had reached a Gleason score of eight, but he said a treatment regimen can extend my life. When I said that is what I wanted, he said to bear in mind, there are side effects to all these treatment options. I made the decision that I wanted to extend my life as best as possible, bearing in mind I had three children, two grandchildren and a wife and I wanted to spend as much time as possible with them.
BM: Your treatment regimen. Looking back, what would you say was the toughest part?
SH: The side effects of all of them. Each of them had their own side effects. None of them were particularly daunting. The radiation, it was daily for six weeks, so it was time-consuming. There was no pain to the injections, but the side effects continue to get to me. The radiation was complete in August 2025. The rest of the treatment does continue, and the side effects I still experience are the hot flashes, body aches and things like that. Those are ongoing, and I do my best to work through those as we go along.
BM: You had referenced being prescribed oral chemotherapy. We have a few guests on our podcast that were prescribed oral chemotherapy. While chemotherapy is never pleasant, those prescribed oral chemotherapy found it to be less traumatic than other forms of chemotherapy. Would you agree?
SH: Certainly. When I go in for refills, I have to go through the chemo room and see what others are going through with their ports and things, and how they look. I have a brother who was treated for cancer and had to have a port and had to have an infusion of chemotherapy, I know I got off lightly. It is less invasive on your body. I think the side effects are generally less invasive than other forms of chemo.
BM: And among those side effects, did food taste differently? Were there cognitive issues? Fatigue issues?
SH: No difference in food taste. Fatigue, definitely. The weird thing is that fatigue in a way, sleep doesn’t help you. You feel fatigued and there is nothing that seems to relieve that fatigue, along with the joint pain and the muscle pain that happens. That and the hot flashes. I feel sorry for women who have menopause and go through those things because it is not pleasant at all.
BM: I am guessing that as this treatment regimen went along, you made progress toward survivorship. When did you sense things were turning around in a good direction?
SH: Monthly my PSA was tested by my oncologist. His plan was to get my PSA levels down to zero. At the moment it is 0.03. Then there was a scan done in March 2026 showing that the cells that had metastasized were now under control. Nothing more was developing. I feel that the treatment regime has my cancer under control, again that was in March 2026.
BM: When we think of prostate cancer, those of us who have been diagnosed with it are affected in two ways, urinary function and sexual function. So, I have a two-part question. First of all, these days, how is your urinary function?
SH: My urinary function is not too severely impacted. It was impacted, post-radiation, which required I have a surgical procedure called TURP surgery because was scar tissue that had formed. It had inhibited my urinary functions. The procedure was successful and has certainly helped. I still get up to go to the bathroom at night, so nothing has changed there. Other than that, there is a burning sensation because of the nerve ending in the urinary tract that were damaged from the radiation.
BM: Not an easy subject to address, but how is your sexual function?
SH: Not good at all. Unfortunately due to the treatment of the hormonal therapy injections, the result is similar to being castrated. So, there is no function. There is a psychological component to that, too, and I am having to work through it. Fortunately, my wife has been very supportive and we are working through that together.
BM: You had just alluded to the support from your wife, but you also have experienced support from an external source, the Cancer Association of South Africa, or CANSA. What has it done for you and what can it do to help others?
SH: Well, CANSA is a wonderful association. I mean, they educate, they support research into different cancer types, provide online platforms, online groups and I think there is a tremendous amount of information.
BM: Stuart, we are going to conclude now and we will conclude with the same question we usually have at this stage. If you encountered someone who had just been diagnosed with prostate cancer or were on the cusp, knowing that they could be diagnosed with prostate cancer, they might have lots of questions, and you could have lots of answers, but if there is one thing you wanted to make sure that person remembered at the end of your conversation, what would it be?
SH: It’s very simple. Make sure that you have a PSA blood test annually so you know what your PSA levels are, so you can grab this thing quickly and in the early stages, and you can be cured.
BM: Sage advice, but for some men it is not always easily absorbed. There are some men that are reluctant to get this test, but as you said it is a test they should get. Stuart Hopwood, Cape Town, South Africa, thank you so much for a story that can inspire and inform. Thank you for being with us on Cancer Interviews.
SH: Bruce, thanks very much for having me. I really appreciate it.
BM: And we want to remind you as we close that if you or a loved one have been diagnosed with cancer, you are not alone. There are organizations like CANSA, individuals like Stuart Hopwood, that have information that can help. So, until next time, we’ll see you on down the road.
Additional Resources:
Support Group:
The Cancer Association of South Africa https://www.cansa.org.za
SHOW NOTES
TITLE: Stuart Hopgood, Stage IV Prostate Cancer Survivor – Cape Town, South Africa
Prior to his 2025 prostate cancer diagnosis, Stuart Hopgood experienced no symptoms. But a visit to his general practitioner included blood work, which revealed a PSA of 74.2! Stuart was referred to a urologist, who called for a needle point biopsy. The biopsy not only showed Stuart that he had Stage IV prostate cancer, but that it had metastasized to a rib and his clavicle. He put on Trelstar, a form of hormonal therapy, six weeks of radiation therapy and Erieada, a form of oral chemotherapy. While Stuart will never be cured, this regimen successfully addressed not only the cancer in his prostate, but the cells that had metastasized.
Additional Resources:
Support Group:
The Cancer Association of South Africa https://www.cansa.org.za
Time Stamps:
01:37 Stuart’s journey began with blood test results.
02:10 What happened he learned of a PSA of 74.2.
02:50 Shares the result of his needle point biopsy.
04:10 Reaction to learning of his diagnosis.
05:35 Stuart is asked if he had treatment options.
07:22 Names the toughest parts of his cancer regimen.
08:35 How he dealt with oral chemotherapy.
09:22 Lists his chemotherapy side effects.
11:32 Stuart describes his current urinary function.
12:39 Describes his sexual function.
15:08 Advice for those who think they might be diagnosed with prostate cancer.
KEYWORDS (tags):
prostate cancer
needle point biopsy
trelstar
radiation therapy
oral chemotherapy
erieada
turp surgery
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