A Wirral man battling prostate cancer said he feels "lucky" despite his terrifying diagnosis.
John Fisher, from Heswall, was diagnosed with prostate cancer in May 2022, after a routine check up with a GP through work- despite claiming to have no symptoms. The 60-year-old underwent surgery to have his prostate removed shortly after, however the cancer had spread to his lymph nodes, despite describing his initial "numbness" at the diagnosis, he said he feels "lucky."
The banker told the ECHO: "When I was told it was cancer, there was that initial feeling of numbness, the first things I asked were 'how long have I had it, and how long do I have left?'
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"I wasn't showing any of the symptoms typical of prostate cancer, such as going to the toilet a lot- it was just a routine check-up with a GP through my work that discovered the cancer. I feel incredibly lucky really, because if it had been found 12 months later, it would be at a point where it was untreatable."
Despite having surgery at Arrowe Park Hospital to remove his prostate last year, John is receiving radiotherapy at Clatterbridge Private Cancer Unit, after the cancer spread to his lymph nodes. The 60-year-old has since suffered side effects common in men who have had their prostate removed, such as issues going to the toilet- and is now keen to spread awareness of the disease to anyone who may be at risk.
Recent figures show one in six men diagnosed with prostate cancer in the north west of England are diagnosed too late to be treated, a figure which is considerably higher than the rest of the UK. Representatives from Prostate Cancer UK have warned of a "postcode lottery" with diagnosis, and are encouraging men to check their risk quickly and easily online.
John added: "The people from Prostate Cancer UK have been great with the support they have offered, and I am now working with them to raise awareness and encourage people to get themselves checked out if they could be at risk."
Laura Kerby, Chief Executive at Prostate Cancer UK, said: “This postcode lottery for cancer diagnosis simply isn’t fair, and the picture in the North-West is worrying. Every man should get an equal chance of a cure, which is only possible if his cancer is caught early.
“Unfortunately, early prostate cancer usually doesn’t have any symptoms, which is why men need to be aware of their risk and should take our online risk checker to find out more. If you’re at higher risk – which includes all men over 50 – you're entitled to a free PSA blood test from your GP.
"Because of their higher risk, we strongly recommend that Black men and men with a family history of prostate cancer should speak to their GP from the age of 45.”
“At one point in the pandemic, prostate cancer made up a third of all missing cancer cases, so it’s fantastic to see that we’re beginning to find and treat these men. However, there is still a long way to go to fully reverse the impact of the pandemic, and as these figures show our job isn’t done even then."
You can check your prostate cancer risk online by visiting here.
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