'Ask for the test,' grandfather battling cancer calls on men to seek help
Gary, 69, has prostate cancer and has lived with treatment for years and has been able to enjoy his life and retirement. However, it could all be so different.
For Gary, it all started with a passing comment at the end of a routine doctor's appointment.
Gary, who has now retired from his security job and moved to Pentwyn, Cardiff, explains he was about to leave his GP appointment when the young doctor asked: 'Is there anything else I can help you with?'
Gary says he shook his head. But the doctor paused, looked up, and asked again: 'Are you sure?'
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Gary says he remembers hesitating — then finally mentioning some issues with sexual function. That small admission led to a rectal exam, which found nothing unusual. But the doctor followed up with a prostate-specific antigen (PSA) blood test, just to be safe.
That test revealed high levels of prostate-specific antigen. A biopsy followed. The result? Aggressive prostate cancer.
Fifteen years on, Gary is still living with the disease. It has spread to his torso, but ongoing treatment has kept it in check. Thanks to radiotherapy, chemotherapy and hormone therapy, he has been able to enjoy his retirement — especially tending to the parsnips and carrots on his allotment.
'You'd never guess I've got something in me that's trying to kill me,' he said. 'Unless they find a cure, I know it'll eventually get me. But right now, I feel good.'
Gary has never forgotten the doctor who asked the extra question — and persisted. 'He was just out of medical school. I haven't seen him since, and I don't know his name. But I'd give anything to say thank you and give him a cwtch. He saved my life.'
Gary's diagnosis marked the start of a difficult chapter. He battled panic attacks, gained weight, and lost his confidence. 'At one point, I was 20 stone. I saw a photo of myself on holiday and thought, 'I've got to sort this out.'' Since then, he's lost four stone, and says the cancer no longer feels like it's winning.
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Support from wife, Carol, his two children and three grandchildren, has kept Gary going. So too did Dr Jim Barber at Velindre, who has guided his care from the beginning. 'He's been with me every step of the way,' said Gary.
Gary is now lending his voice to Prostate Cancer UK's campaign calling for PSA blood tests — not rectal exams — to be the first step in diagnosing prostate cancer. 'That blood test is what caught mine. The exam didn't find anything.'
The British Association of Urological Surgeons recently backed the charity's call to move away from routine rectal exams, calling the method outdated and unreliable.
One in eight men in the UK will develop prostate cancer. Those over 50 — or over 45 for Black men or anyone with a family history — can request a free PSA test from their GP, even without symptoms.
Gary says: 'Don't be embarrassed. Ask for the test. I did — just in time.'
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