Fight Against Real-Life Villain: Prostate Cancer Overtreatment

Mohammed Kamel (46) never imagined that acting classes, taken up as a hobby, would lead to a role in an international blockbuster and fame to boot.

Mohammed is a London-based teacher who, after his role in series 5 of The Crown as Ali Al-Fayed, was scouted for the new Indiana Jones film in which he plays a bad guy taking a Champagne bottle to the head of Fleabag star Phoebe Waller-Bridge.

The second-generation immigrant was already well-recognised, at least within his community, for being tireless in efforts to teach and empower his students, particularly those in a similar situation to his parents who arrived in the 1970s with little English.

Now the actor is turning his attention to a cause just as close to home, and indeed one commonly encountered by men up and down the country, that of prostate cancer which affects 1 in 10 men in the UK.

Mohammed’s own family has been blighted with cancer. His father and beloved maternal aunt passed away from renal and breast cancer. And now, his beloved uncle has recently undergone prostate cancer treatment.

Although his uncle’s prostate cancer was caught very early and was medium to low grade, he was subjected to the same treatment that very high-grade patients receive. This aggressive treatment which usually involves radiotherapy and/or chemotherapy, has very severe, life changing side effects.

Earlier this year Mohammed discovered campaigning charity Prost8 UK, founded by Paul Sayer, who himself is a former sufferer and quickly realised that there is a pressing need to deliver more modern procedures that lead to better treatment outcomes without detrimental life changing side effects like erectile dysfunction and urinary incontinence.

Once Mohammed learned more about the charity’s work fundraising to deploy minimally invasive treatment options for men with prostate cancer, he was convinced to take on the role as an official ambassador for the charity.

Now he’s determined to raise awareness of the treatment options available to men with low to medium grade prostate cancer encouraging them to avoid overtreatment. He said: “Prostate cancer is now the most common cancer in men in the UK with 52,000 new cases a year, and it’s on the rise.

“Groundbreaking technology such as high intensity focal ultrasound (HIFU) which successfully treats prostate cancer without the lifestyle outcomes commonly accompanying radiotherapy and surgery is available but it’s not being offered to men with low to medium grade prostate cancer who are consequently overtreated.

“Men need to be aware that they might have a choice beyond aggressive treatments despite alternatives often not being presented to them by medical professionals. I want to sound the drum and help lead the charge to get focal therapy units into hospitals, so the treatment is available on the NHS.”

Founder of Prost8 UK, Paul Sayer added: “Prost8 UK’s goal is to fund focal therapy units in hospitals across the UK in order to provide nationwide coverage for the revolutionary HIFU treatment on the NHS and we are well on our way to funding the first units.

“There are countless men out there who don’t realise they can continue to live a healthy life, with no lifestyle changes, should they be able to receive the best prostate cancer treatment available.”

Mohammed Kamel concluded: “Our mission is to make that a reality for every single man in the United Kingdom, free at the point of use. Prostate cancer is a real-life villain that must be eliminated.”

Mohammed is back on our screens in November in series 6 of The Crown.