Gladiator Giant says prostate cancer blood test could save lives
Known as Giant on the hit BBC show, the bodybuilder has been raising money for Prostate Cancer UK and took part in The Big Golf Race where he played 72 holes of golf and walked more than 26 miles in a single day, completing the challenge in just under 15 hours.
This comes after his uncle, Colin Tomlinson, was diagnosed and later recovered from prostate cancer eight years ago.
Speaking during Men's Health Week, which runs from June 9-15, he said: 'That was just a true example of it can happen to anyone, no matter how fit or healthy you are there are no warning signs for this.
'If people aren't getting the necessary checks, then it could be too late.'
Around one in eight men in the UK will get prostate cancer in their lifetime, according to Prostate Cancer UK.
It occurs when cells in the prostate start to grow in an uncontrolled way with the risk of spreading if not detected early.
One cancer screening is a PSA blood test which checks the level of prostate specific antigens in the blood and, if high, may be a sign of a prostate condition, according to the NHS website.
He said: 'By doing a simple blood test, by going to your GP and having a simple blood test to check your PSA levels, that's like the first step, and it's something really, really easy.
'It could save their life.
'I think men, being men, we're very private individuals especially with certain body parts. So I think the stigma attached to prostate cancer is that men have to go to the doctors and have the prostate exam with the finger up the bum, without being too graphic. I think that puts a lot of people off.
'Having the knowledge of a simple blood test will give you all you need to know that is far, far more beneficial than surely finding out one day that you might have cancer.'
Because prostate cancer often does not have any symptoms, it is important to get checked especially for men over the age of 50, black men and men with a family history of prostate cancer who are at higher risk.
Christian added: 'It's much more powerful to prevent something than to have to cure it, because the cure isn't something that we can have full control over, but prevention-wise, that is in our control to go and get the necessary checks to look after our lifestyle, our diets, our activities, shall we say.
Jamie Christian, right, known as Giant from Gladiators, is encouraging men to take a potentially life-saving blood test (Ian West/PA)
'When you put it like that, a few minutes of your day, why would you not go and do it? Peace of mind.'
The Big Golf Race is the biggest golf fundraising challenge in the UK which encourages participants to choose from the Half Marathon (36 holes and approximately 13 miles of walking), the Marathon (72 holes and over 26 miles), or the Ultra Marathon (100 holes in one day and 35 miles) to raise money and awareness for the charity.
Speaking about the sport Christian added: '(The golf course) is a great place where men can be in a safe space and talk to one another. And these conversations on a golf course are private and respected.
'I think the more people that come on board, the more people that listen, more people that talk, more people that go out and play a game of golf and have those conversations with each other, the better.
'And hopefully, the rates of the actual deaths from prostate cancer will start to fall.'
Christian is best known as Giant on the sports and entertainment show Gladiators which sees professional athletes take on contestants as they try to complete physical challenges.
Prior to being a Gladiator, he was the tallest professional bodybuilder in the world at six feet five and consumed up to 10,000 calories a day. He has since reduced his intake to around 5,000 calories.
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The £12 at-home prostate cancer test that could save you weeks of waiting for a GP
It's a slightly odd moment when I fire the little spring-loaded lancet into my own hand and, despite my attempts to bleed neatly, the kitchen table takes on a crime-scene feel. I've waited until family members are out and I'm able to process results alone, decide on next steps, and set my face if needed. I'm taking a prostate health blood test that I bought in Sainsbury's. It uses the little white plastic result tray familiar from Covid, capturing a drop of blood. The makers of the test I'm using say take up has increased 69 per cent since launch, two years ago. More and more of us are checking ourselves in this way, but what does it entail and what do you need to know? There is something satisfying about taking some control of your own health, and that's how it feels to take a prostate health test in your kitchen. It requires some self-education and a little caution, but I'm a fan. 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The faff of arranging appointments, the vulnerable feeling that overtakes you as you walk through the door of the surgery, and the worry about managing feelings: all of this makes lightly stabbing myself at the kitchen table feel more than worth it. Pros of self-test kits They are (reasonably) accurate Nick James, professor of prostate and bladder cancer research at the Institute of Cancer Research, and the Royal Marsden Hospital in London says, 'We did a bit of research on tests of this type and they weren't bad, to be honest. We dual-tested 50-100 [patients], comparing our lab results with their results – there was some inaccuracy at the borderline between normal and abnormal, but did that matter? Probably not. Once you have a properly abnormal PSA they will be accurate'. They are quick Prof James says: 'It is quite a good way of circumventing the initial chat with the GP. Most things in life you have control of, you want a pizza you pick up the phone and it arrives. It's only in medicine where you have to be grateful for what the NHS gives you, which might be great or it might be rubbish.' They are a useful start 'There's not much you can do wrong with them really,' says Prof James. 'If you have the test and it's normal, probably the NHS test would be normal too, if it's abnormal that should allow you to drive a referral. I tried to get an NHS PSA just to see the process, and it took me weeks and weeks.' They are cheap and easy Frederick Manduca is a director of Newfoundland Diagnostics, which makes the lateral flow PSA test I used. He says: 'There's a convenience factor, you can buy the test in Sainsbury's with your shopping and the result is there within ten minutes. It retails at £12, so you can screen regularly. It's easy to use. You only need a few droplets of blood and you can put it through the lateral flow test.' They are set up for the most at-risk group Newfoundland tests record any PSA score up to four as normal. 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It's crucial that, before you have a PSA blood test, you get balanced information or counselling from a healthcare professional, and that you get professional follow-up about your result and what to do next.' How to read your self-test kit results Any PSA is far from conclusive. Using a cheap and reasonably accurate home test can allow you to track your number and spot any changes. An NHS PSA test is also not definitive, and a high number should mark the start of an investigation. Figures for 'normal' PSA scores by age are available online, but any worries need full investigation with MRI scans via the doctor. Fredrick Manduca says: 'It's a tool in an overall toolkit. A lot of men don't know that if do they have a raised PSA only one-in-four of them will have prostate cancer. The general concept is for someone to test every year or every two years depending on how at risk they are, and see if there's a change.' 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