Ex-Scotland rugby star Kenny Logan has revealed he has been treated for prostate cancer despite showing "no symptoms whatsoever".
The former winger, who played for Scotland 70 times, was diagnosed back in February and has since undergone surgery, following a basic wellness check at his GP. He was "shocked" by his diagnosis as he saw no obvious warning signs.
Speaking to BBC Breakfast, the sports star, who is from Stirling, explained that he wasn't quite feeling right, but thought it was down to hormones.
The 50-year-old said: "I was actually listening to one of the episodes about menopause about women and their hormones falling off a cliff.
"As I was going through this in my head, and I thought 'what about me', 'what is happening to me?'"
It was his wife, TV presenter Gabby Logan, who advised Kenny to visit his GP.
Kenny explained: “I got a wellness check and sat down with the guy. He said to me: ‘Everything’s fine, your hormones are fine but your prostate is high’.
“I got checked and very quickly, within three or four months, I had biopsies. There was something there but we’d just keep an eye on it.
“This year, February 7, I was diagnosed with prostate cancer which was a huge shock."
For treatment, Kenny had the option to either undergo chemotherapy or have surgery to remove his prostate - he opted for the latter.
"I ended up deciding to take it out so I’m three months since the operation, had the prostate out and I’m probably 95 per cent back to normal," he said.
Kenny concluded: “It was hard because when you’re told you’ve got cancer… I didn’t see it coming. No symptoms whatsoever.”
Experiencing no symptoms can make early detection more difficult, but this is quite common in prostate cancer.
Therefore, it is vital to be aware of the disease's symptoms and to seek medical attention if you notice any persist.
Prostate cancer symptoms
While there are symptoms of prostate cancer which should not be ignored, they won't usually appear early on in the disease, according to the NHS.
This is because the cancer must grow large enough to put pressure on the tube, known as the urethra, that carries urine from the bladder out of the penis.
According to the NHS, as this occurs, symptoms in men include:
- needing to pee more frequently, often during the night
- needing to rush to the toilet
- difficulty in starting to pee (hesitancy)
- straining or taking a long time while peeing
- weak flow
- feeling that your bladder has not emptied fully
- blood in urine and blood in semen
Cancer Research UK states that if prostate cancer spreads throughout the body, symptoms can include:
- back or bone pain that doesn’t go away with rest
- tiredness
- weight loss for no reason
The NHS further explains that men can be regularly screened to check their prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels, but medical experts are divided on this test's accuracy.
There are arguments that PSA testing can offer unreliable diagnoses, as they can suggest prostate cancer where it doesn't exist, resulting in a false positive.
In contrast it can also deliver false negatives which can result in missed cases.
However, Cancer Research UK highlights that you should see your GP if something is off, or if you show any symptoms.
Last week, BBC Breakfast host Bill Turnbull sadly passed away following his battle with prostate cancer.
Prior to his death, the 66 year-old admitted that he put off visiting his GP for years, which in turn caused him to miss out vital warning signs that could have saved his life.
He experienced aches and pains that wouldn't go away, but he thought it was just down to old age.
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