Warning as thousands of men going undiagnosed with life-threatening cancers
Video report by Andy Bonner.
A charity is warning that there are thousands of men who are unaware that they may have life-threatening cancers.
The lockdown has seen the number of referrals to GPs drop significantly and Prostate Cancer UK says it's critical those at risk take action.
That's echoed by Tony Collier from Altrincham. When he sought help for a groin strain, the last thing he expected was to be told he had an incurable cancer. Tony was 60 when he was diagnosed and told he had as little as two years to live.
Figures show referrals for urological cancers like his have dropped by nearly half in our region as the pandemic made it harder for men to visit their GP.
Tony said: "Men are not great at going to the doctor's. But I think the Covid thing, going to the GPs, practices not being open as normal, not functioning like normal, has been a major issue. But I think men need to get over this. It's really, really important. Being told you've got cancer is bad enough but being told they can't cure it is absolutely awful."
Who is most at risk from prostate cancer?
Men over 50.
Black men.
Men with a family history of the disease.
There are often no symptoms. But a simple blood test can indicate problems. Tony says men shouldn't be scared to ask their GP for a test. It's thought up to 3,500 in England may not know they have a higher-risk prostate cancer. So Tony wants people to act now before it's too late.
How do I get checked?To help men find out whether they are at increased risk of developing the disease, Prostate Cancer UK has launched an online risk checker, available here.
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