A Scots dad who was diagnosed with prostate cancer after reading an article has told how our sister newspaper, the Daily Record, saved his life.
Brian Steele, 63, was browsing the paper in 2022 when he spotted a column urging men to get their prostate checked out if over 50, reports the Daily Record.
Despite not showing any obvious symptoms, Brian decided to visit his doctor to make sure - and was in "complete disbelief" after his GP confirmed he had the condition.
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The dad, from Dunfermline in Fife, said: "I was sitting reading the Daily Record when I saw a piece about prostate cancer.
"It said you should get yourself checked if you’re over 50 and if it runs in your family. My head just started spinning.
"Then I remembered my dad, who was proper old school and kept his cards close to his chest, saying years ago about getting your prostate checked.
"I was a lot younger then so it just went over my head, but I suddenly realised he had the same cancer.
"I didn’t have any symptoms or feel unwell so I thought about it for a day or two before deciding to get myself booked in.
"The doctor said my prostate felt fine but my blood test showed that my prostate specific antigen (PSA) levels were up, which meant I had to go for another test.
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"Things just escalated from there. The minute they told me I had it, I just had a feeling of disbelief.
"I could hear what they were saying but I wasn’t really taking it in. I would never have dreamt of going for a check if I hadn’t read it in the paper."
Brian is now cancer-free after having his prostate removed in October 2022, and is urging others to put aside their 'bravado' and just go to get checked - especially if the disease runs in the family.
He continued: "There’s a macho bravado amongst men about not getting things like this checked, but that’s deluded. I decided to go for the robotic-assisted radical prostatectomy.
"The surgeon said to me that I could live for another 10 or 15 years without it causing me any real problems but I decided to have it taken out.
"The NHS was absolutely amazing with me and I had so much support from all my friends and family, especially my son Ryan who was with me every step of the way. He was an absolute rock.”
Brian's son, 37-year-old Ryan, is now taking part in a 500-mile-long challenge with cousin Jamie McDonough and 11 pals to raise funds for charity, Prostate Cancer UK.
Ryan recalled the moment his dad was diagnosed with the condition, saying: "I’ll never forget that horrible Monday morning when he came out of the hospital and said ‘I’ve got it’.
"I was absolutely devastated. My dad has always had my back and been there for me since I was a little boy and then all of a sudden he just looked so vulnerable.
"The worst part was the wait to see if it had spread which thankfully it didn’t.
"It's something I'm going to have to be aware of now too because obviously both my dad and grandad had it.
"But I’ve now made it my mission to keep raising awareness about it so hopefully it can help save other men too."
The 500 Miles of Madness challenge, organised by Ryan and Jamie, will take place at the Carnegie Leisure Centre in Dunfermline on Friday.
The fundraiser includes running and cycling this massive distance in the gym to raise vital funds which will be split between two charities - Prostate Cancer UK and Wee Jamie’s Journey.
The Daily Record previously reported how a three-year-old from Fife, Jamie Tierney, was diagnosed with muscle wasting disease Muscular Dystrophy (DMD) in October last year.
Parents Bobbie and Jamie Senior have been taking him to South America for treatment which should slow down the progression of the terminal illness.
However, they face a whopping £60,000 bill each year to enforce this, and are now appealing for any medics in the UK who can help.
To find out more about Jamie's journey, please click here. You can donate to the joint fundraiser here.
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