Mike Summerbee says he may not have been alive to see his beloved Manchester City win the treble had his wife not forced him to go to the doctors and take a prostate cancer test 12 years ago.
Summerbee was diagnosed with the disease in 2011, but thankfully it was discovered early enough and he was able to make a recovery. He was in Istanbul this weekend to see City finally win the Champions League to complete a historic treble along with the Premier League and FA Cup.
Now, club ambassador Summerbee has reflected on his own experiences as Prostate Cancer UK launched an initiative to raise awareness of the disease in time for Men's Health Week and Father's Day - calling upon football fans of all colours and non-football fans to learn about facts that could save their lives.
"It’s 12 years since I was given the life-changing news that I had prostate cancer, but I’m forever grateful that it was discovered early enough," Summerbee said. "Had it not been, I might not be around today.
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"I was set on a round of golf, but my wife Tina forced me to go to the doctor instead. The scary thing is I had no symptoms at all. I did a variety of tests, including a blood test. Then a few days later I remember getting the call saying there was a big problem. And I was diagnosed with prostate cancer soon afterwards. It was as quick as that.
"Leaving my golf clubs at home that day was the best decision I ever made as they discovered the cancer early, and were able to successfully deal with it. I can never thank Tina enough for that intervention.
"The work that Prostate Cancer UK does not only ensures that more and more men are aware of their risk and don’t wait for symptoms, but also supports those who live with it for the rest of their lives."
Prostate Cancer UK are working to bust myths and misconceptions around the disease by sharing clear and accurate health information, aiming to save lives.
Their 'What on Earth is a Prostate?' campaign, shot in Manchester, aims to highlight the need for continued and heightened effort to ensure men have the facts they need to understand their risk of the disease.
The charity surveyed over 2,000 men aged over 18 across the UK, and found that 71 per cent of North West men did not know what the prostate does, and 43 per cent did not know where it was in their body. This unfamiliarity with the prostate carried through to dangerous misconceptions about the most common cancer in men.
A man’s risk of prostate cancer increases if they are aged over 50, Black and over 45, or have a family history of the disease. But worryingly over three quarters (76 per cent) of North West men did not think a man’s ethnicity increased his risk of prostate cancer, 46 per cent did not realise having a family history of it could increase a man’s risk. 54 per cent were unaware that age is a risk factor.
Over 52,000 men are diagnosed with prostate cancer each year, but the disease is treatable if caught early. New figures show that only 39% of North West men realise that early-stage prostate cancer often has no symptoms, while over a third (36%) think it will show symptoms or signs always or most of the time.
Summerbee says his own experiences, and the lack of awareness highlighted in the Prostate Cancer UK research, shows that education is more important than ever.
He said: "That’s why I always wear my ‘Man of Men’ badge, and will always be so grateful to Pep [Guardiola] and all the managers and personalities who have worn it over the past seasons. I never tire about letting men know about the dangers of this disease. And how lucky I was. Thankfully we got there in time and I’m in good health now.
"Fast forward to 2023 and it's never been more important to educate men about the dangers of this disease. Hearing about the new regional statistics in the North West, and the gaps in understanding about prostate cancer and the prostate is a big concern. We need to change that.
"You could say it wasn’t something on my radar back in 2011. But it is now and that’s why I continue to spread the word about this disease and the continued work of Prostate Cancer UK across the football community, Manchester, the North West – and beyond."
Men can find out if they are at higher risk of prostate cancer – and what they can do about it – by using Prostate Cancer UK’s 30-second online risk checker at prostatecanceruk.org/riskcheck.
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