MANHANDLED: Lies, Regrets & the Power of Agency

You’ve just been diagnosed with Prostate Cancer. Stop. Read this first.

The consultant says surgery. Within six weeks. Eight specialists unanimously agree: treat immediately.

But what if they're wrong?

Paul Sweeney was 55 with a young family when he got the diagnosis. Gleason 7. He was supposed to be grateful and compliant. Instead, he did his own research.

What he found shocked him. The landmark ProtecT trial—1,600 men, 15 years—showed no survival difference between surgery and monitoring. The "manageable" side effects? An 85% chance of permanent erectile dysfunction. One in six men regretting their decision.

MANHANDLED exposes why the system pushes treatment you may not need, what surgeons won't tell you about life after the knife, and how to take control when everyone's telling you to comply.

Three years after refusing surgery, Sweeney's cancer hasn't progressed. His quality of life is intact. This isn't luck—it's informed choice.

Paul D. Sweeney is an author and strategist. Previously, he served as an independent strategic adviser to several FTSE companies. From 2020 to 2023, he was Chief Strategy Officer at Unite Group PLC (FTSE 100) and is a fellow of the RSA (Royal Society for the Encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce).Paul is the author of Magnetic Nonsense: A Short History of Bullshit at Work and How to Make it Go Away. He is currently the CEO at Sense Labs, a London-based advisory firm that helps organisations improve performance by freeing their people from pointless nonsense, simplifying structures, and uncovering hidden talent. Known for his love of disruptive thinking, Paul's unpredictable career journey took him from dropping out of university to his first role in an airline's lost luggage department. After several operations and general management positions in aviation, Paul earned an MBA at London Business School. This was followed by a three-year stint in a start-up and, later, an unexpected career as a consultant, strategic adviser, and FTSE 100 executive.Paul lives with his family in Richmond, Southwest London, and is an avid sailor and sea kayaker.He can be contacted by email at: paul@senselabs.co