More than 14,000 British men are believed to need treatment for prostate cancer but have not come forward because of the pandemic. The NHS is urging men to check their risk online to identify a cancer that is very treatable if caught early enough.
“He was my best friend. He was – and always will be – my best friend.”
Danielle Ray was very close to her father Jonny.
“We literally always said we were each other’s twins, we literally had the same mindset.
“And we were very, very close. So it’s very difficult without him.”
As Danielle – nicknamed Dan to her father – approaches her 30th birthday, she grieves at the thought that she will reach one of the milestones of her life without him.
She was just 25 years old when Jonny died after being diagnosed with prostate cancer. Jonny himself was only 63 years old.
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Losing her father to a disease that is very treatable if caught early enough was hard to bear.
“His diagnosis came as a shock. He had some symptoms, now I understand.
“But kind of out of the blue he was referred I think as the symptoms got worse and he was diagnosed in October 2015.
“It must have probably started a few years before that, but you just don’t think it’s ever going to happen to you or affect your family.”
Jonny died two years after diagnosis.
Danielle feels his first symptoms – needing to go to the bathroom frequently – were not caught early enough by his doctor and says her father did not push for a second opinion.
Not to mention that many men find it difficult to talk about prostate problems.
Charity Prostate Cancer UK and the NHS believe thousands of men may be living with the cancer, but don’t know yet.
Since April 2020, more than 58,000 men have started treatment for prostate cancer, but that’s 14,000 fewer than would have been expected compared to pre-pandemic numbers.
Nicola Tallett, acting chief executive of Prostate Cancer UK, says the pandemic has had a real impact on the number of people seeking help.
“Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men, but the pandemic has left thousands of men undiagnosed and potentially missing out on life-saving treatment,” she said.
“Although thousands of men are still being treated each month, the number of men missing out will continue to rise unless things change soon.
“Men have told us they didn’t want to ‘bother’ their GP during the pandemic – especially when they don’t have symptoms, which is the case for most men with early-stage prostate cancer.
“This means that men who are at higher risk for the disease are not having those important conversations about their risk that can lead to a diagnosis.”
- needing to pee more often, especially at night
- Difficulty starting to pee, weak flow and it lasts a long time
- blood in the urine or semen
These symptoms can be caused by other medical conditions, so it’s important to have any changes checked out by a doctor.
The charity has a 30-second online risk checker that men can use to learn more about their risk and what to do about it.
Prof Peter Johnson, national clinical director for cancer at the NHS in England, says it’s important to know how to take further action if you’re at risk.
“The prognosis for the people we see will be much better the sooner we see them, but we need to see them as soon as possible.”
“It’s important for men to understand that prostate cancer often has no symptoms in its early stages, so don’t delay – check your risk now.” Just checking could be a lifesaver.”
One in eight men will develop prostate cancer during their lifetime – men over 50, black men and those with a family history are at even greater risk.
That was exactly the case with Andrew Richardson – his father has been living with prostate cancer for years.
In 2020, Andrew underwent a routine screening blood test for himself, which revealed some worrisome signs, and prostate cancer was soon diagnosed.
His advice to other men now is simple: “Don’t just sit and think, everything will be fine.
“Something could happen and the only thing I’ve found out about prostate cancer since then is that it’s very aggressive.
“Once it takes hold of the rest of your body, it can only be a game of chase.
“I mean, I was really lucky, I didn’t need radiotherapy, I didn’t need chemotherapy. The surgery did it for me.”
Andrew, a proud Yorkshireman and Bradford City fan, admits the road to recovery has been tough at times.
But he’s back on his feet now, on the verge of playing football again, and even ran the Pontefract 10K in a not-too-shabby 52 minutes last summer.
And he says it was just a simple blood test that saved his life.
“I think I used up all my luck at once. And if that’s the only happiness I’ll have in my life, then I’ll take that.”
One disease, two very different outcomes.
But from Andrew and Danielle, it’s the same message for thousands of men believed to be living with prostate cancer — if you’re even a little concerned, reach out and get tested.
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