I had no symptoms - then one chat with GP turned my life upside-down

In my family, prostate cancer has come knocking too many times - three of my four brothers have had it. Apart from it running in my family, I didn't know much about the disease. I felt I should get checked out, so in 2022 I talked to a GP about it. I felt healthy and didn't have any symptoms, but as a precaution we arranged a PSA blood test. This is a test that can indicate issues with the prostate. My PSA levels were high, so I was referred for more tests, like an MRI, and eventually I got the news that I had prostate cancer at the age of 57.

It was a shocking, life-changing moment - one that you never really think will happen to you. I was put on a combination of radiotherapy and hormone injections, which I started straight away. The treatments gave me hot flushes and fatigue, which wasn't nice at all, but I felt I could cope with the side effects if it meant getting rid of the cancer. In fact, prostate cancer hit me harder mentally than it did physically.

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The toll on my emotional wellbeing was massive. Think about it: cancer totally disrupts your life, everything you know, everyone you love. I was scared of what would happen to me, uncertain about the impact it would have on my family and friends, my work, all the things I enjoy doing.

It's a horrible thing to go through. Thankfully, I reached out to Prostate Cancer UK's specialist nurse helpline early on. A nurse listened to me, answered my questions, and we talked through how to navigate this difficult time and keep mentally healthy. I also sought out counselling, which was helpful.

Getting emotional support was incredibly powerful, and its importance can't be overstated. This life-changing event is happening to your body, but of course, it's affecting your mind too. You've got to look after both.

Everyone affected by cancer should be getting mental health support alongside their physical treatment, and I'm proud to get behind the Daily Express's Cancer Care campaign to get it introduced as standard care in the NHS.

It just makes sense, and I'm glad we're starting to open up more about the emotional and psychological side of things, especially us men.

A couple of years down the line from my diagnosis, and I'm doing well, body and mind. I've responded to the treatments and my PSA levels are low. I'm out of the woods. That's true for my brothers too; we're all lucky to have been treated successfully and come out the other side of cancer.

Chatting to that GP saved my life. It meant we found the cancer early enough to sort it out. I urge every man to get checked out. I didn't have any symptoms, and if I'd left it later, my story might be very different.

I've since learned that my family history of the disease actually put me at the highest risk of getting it, which was also true for Sir Chris Hoy.

Surprisingly, prostate cancer is the last major cancer to not have a national screening programme in the UK, despite the fact that it's now the most common cancer in England. That means you won't be invited for a test - you've got to talk to your GP about a PSA blood test, like I did.

If you're wondering about your risk of getting it, find out using Prostate Cancer UK's 30-second online risk checker, which will also give you information about what you can do next.

And I can't recommend enough talking to Prostate Cancer UK's Specialist Nurses, which you can do on 0800 074 8383 or via webchat on the charity's website.