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Cause

Prostate and testicular cancer can both be killer diseases. Buy Dad a Day is devoted to helping the many dads, granddads and sons who come face to face with the toughest imaginable diagnosis – and to giving them the best possible chance of a positive outcome.

Money raised through the BUY DAD A DAY auction will be used to purchase specialist ultrasound equipment for the Urology department at Addenbrooke's Hospital, Cambridge. The aim is to have a profound effect on the early diagnosis, accurate treatment and follow up of patients suffering from prostate and testicular cancer.

Every year, this busy department sees thousands of men from across the East of England and also receives oncology-related referrals from across the UK. The hospital houses the only Chair of Surgical Oncology in the country focused specifically on urological diseases, including prostate and testicular cancer.

Money donated to Addenbrooke's Charitable Trust (ACT) through BUY DAD A DAY will help fund the purchase of an ultrasound scanner. This vital piece of equipment will be used for both clinical and research work into men's health. It will help the team at Addenbrooke's carry out biopsies in men, with or without prostate cancer, to determine the underlying molecular changes found in this sort of cancer. The machine will also support a study looking at new drug treatments. Imaging from the scanner, coupled with biopsies, will help work out if new drugs are hitting the correct molecular targets to cure patients. The new scanner will be used in conjunction the hospital's existing da Vinci Robot Surgeon, another medical device purchased solely through charitable donations.

Addenbrooke's is one of only a few hospitals in the UK to own a da Vinci Robot and was among the first units to offer this surgery in the UK. The da Vinci Robot enables surgeons to conduct radical prostatectomy procedures through tiny laparoscopic (keyhole) openings. It mirrors the hand movements of a trained surgeon, translating the information into precise movements of micro-instruments within the area of operation.

To date the hospital has carried out over 400 prostate operations using da Vinci , a system which offers the benefit of magnified vision and precise handling of the prostate tissue. Added benefits include minimal blood loss, improved convalescence for patients and dramatically reduced lengths of stay in hospital (24 hours discharge compared to 6 / 7 days).

David Neal, Professor of Surgical Oncology at Addenbrooke's said: "Each year 34,000 men are diagnosed with prostate cancer in this country and 2,100 with testicular cancer. Both can be killer diseases that we need to understand more about so we can advance treatment programmes. Raising money in a fun way will help raise awareness of these conditions, increase the breadth of our work and let us purchase the very latest medical equipment to help treat dads, grandads and sons across the UK.

"Addenbrooke's already has a world class robotic centre that is significantly improving outcomes for men with prostate cancer in the UK who are referred to Cambridge for treatment. The acquisition of further, complementary equipment will help us build on our existing infrastructure, add real value to our clinical and research programmes and grow Addenbrooke's reputation as a world-class, comprehensive cancer centre."