Fighting Stage 4

I turned 45 yesterday.

Thanks for all the kind wishes, I had a lovely weekend with the family. Even used it as an excuse to get my wife to do a ParkRun with me … though she then tried to make me run negative splits.

My 45th lap around the Sun has given me a few things to reflect on.

I’m often told that 44 is “very young” for prostate cancer, let alone stage 4. To be honest, I’d welcome a few doctors keeping that “news” to themselves.

But here’s the reality: prostate cancer is now the most commonly diagnosed cancer in the UK. 12,000 men a year die from it and 1 in 8 men will get it – rising to 1 in 6 for Irish men and 1 in 4 for black men. Despite what you may hear (including from me the morning before my full diagnosis) it is not a “good cancer”. Long term treatment comes with some serious side effects.

The good news? If it is caught early it can be cured. That means a better quality of life for men, longer time with loved ones, and billions saved for the NHS.

The test is simple. A blood test. PSA – prostate specific antigen. No, not a finger up your bum.

Yet men are still having to fight for it. Men, who are not renowned for visits to the doctors anyway.

Charities like Prostate Cancer UK and public figures like Sir Chris Hoy, are calling for national screening from age 50, or 45 for those at risk. I wouldn’t have been included. I wasn’t “at risk”.

If my tumour hadn’t “fortunately” blocked my ureters and forced the need for urgent treatment, I might not have seen 50.

There is still no guarantee I’ll get there – but I wouldn’t bet against me. We’re all fighting partially blind in life, but at least I get to see some of what I’m up against.

How many fathers, sons, brothers, uncles, mates and colleagues could be saved if screening was introduced?

The Government says PSA isn’t reliable – it can rise with things like exercise. But PSA at my age should be below 2.5. Mine was 186. I could have resisted riding my bike (as I do for my now monthly tests) for a retest.

So why can’t the Government give men a choice?

If you think this deserves a proper debate, rather than just a glib dismissal, the petition is here: https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/728751?reveal_response=yes

One kicker though, if you have read this far (thanks):

At a corporate health check last November I was told my “metabolic age” was 59. A measurement like that feels more gimmick than science. I had all the excuses – young kids, stress at work, drinking and eating too much. But if I had actually been 59 the doctors wouldn’t keep pointing out how “young” I was.

Since then, with diet, exercise and a disciplined routine motivated by a lot of research, my metabolic age has dropped to 36. If I’d acted sooner, would the cancer have taken hold? I will never know.

But here’s what I would suggest: if you do get a result like that, pay attention. Improve it. Or push for some tests.

The Government won’t do it for you. But your family and friends will thank you.