Sir – As a prostate cancer survivor (since 2002), I greatly welcome the introduction of the da vinci technique by the Oxford Cancer Centre at the Churchill Hospital.

There was, however, a major omission in your report. The technique allows the surgeon to see what he is doing, avoid nerves and reduce blood loss to a minimum. All the other surgical procedures are far less precise. The robotic technique reduces the probability of the side effects that often follow prostate surgery to the absolute minimum. After I was diagnosed with prostate cancer in Florida, I joined a ‘Man to Man’ group, sponsored by the American Cancer Society.

There I learned from other men their experiences of all the treatments then possible. I also watched the distressing decline of a man diagnosed too late for surgery. The cancer had moved to his bones and eventually killed him.

Having heard that a racehorse trainer had surgery and was back in the saddle eight days later, I chose the same treatment: brachytherapy. This involves the implantation of radioactive iodine. It was done on a Friday. I was home next day and back at work on the Tuesday.

The first use of the da vinci technique in Florida was in 2003 — too late for me.

That year the very first patient talked to the group explaining that his discomforture was minimal and that he was back at work in days. He experienced none of the side-effects that often follow surgery.

The hospital concerned had bought the equipment for the cardiac surgeons, but it was not being used! One of the urologists took it over, learnt the technique and has now enormous experience and success.

David A Jones

Emeritus Professor of Genetics, University of Hull

Emeritus Professor of Botany (Ecological Genetics) University of Florida

Chesterton