Latest news with #NickOwen
BBC News
12-04-2025
- Climate
- BBC News
Safety plea from north-west of England rescue teams ahead of Easter
Rescue teams braced for a busy time over Easter are warning people to make sure they are prepared before they go hiking up mountains or by the RNLI team on Merseyside said most of its call-outs were the result of people not being aware of tide times before they set off on a Brown from West Kirkby RNLI said "8m plus tides" were expected this week and people could "get trapped very quickly".Meanwhile, the Mountain Rescue Association (MRA) said its teams across the north-west of England expected almost daily call-outs from now until the end of the summer. Nick Owen from the organisation said: "It can be virtually a daily experience across the region - going and recovering people who are just not prepared or have been a bit ambitious."Research from Bangor University found that 50% of the population never looked at the tide times before they headed to the Brown said many walkers were not aware that the tide comes in twice every 24 hours."They come in faster than you can walk so it's really important to understand how to look at a timetable and understand when you should set off and when you should come back to do that safely," he said. He added: "Over the next week we've got a number of eight metre plus tides coming in. "What you don't understand is the water is also coming in behind you so very quickly you can get trapped."If you're out there the tide coming in can be very scary especially if it's surrounding you and if you've got your family with you it must be even worse." Read more stories from Cheshire, Lancashire, Greater Manchester and Merseyside on the BBC, watch BBC North West Tonight on BBC iPlayer and follow BBC North West on X.
BBC News
28-01-2025
- Health
- BBC News
Nick Owen praises power of conversation on prostate cancer
BBC presenter Nick Owen says famous people talking about prostate cancer has helped to raise awareness of the illness, with the greater profile a factor in it becoming the most commonly diagnosed cancer in longstanding broadcaster said he was diagnosed with "extensive and aggressive" cancer in 2023, before having surgery. He was new analysis, charity Prostate Cancer UK examined NHS data and found that in 2022, a total of 50,751 men were diagnosed, surpassing the 48,531 recorded cases of breast cancer; previously the most commonly diagnosed a national breakfast TV pioneer, said the illness was "more talked about now than ever before". Analysis also shows that in 2023, the number of prostate cancer cases rose to 55,033, while breast cancer diagnoses decreased to 47, data also indicates a 25% rise in prostate cancer cases between 2019 and 2023. The charity attributes the figures to greater awareness of the disease, leading to more men being diagnosed at an earlier stage. Owen stated it was "fantastic that all this awareness has come forward now" through the experiences of "high-profile people" such as six-time Olympic cycling champion Sir Chris Hoy, TV sports presenter Steve Rider, actor Stephen Fry, England cricketer Bob Willis and broadcaster Bill added there were "scores of people" who said they had visited a GP as a direct result of seeing him and "all the high-profile people we've mentioned" discuss the while the presenter of news programme BBC Midlands Today said it was "fantastic" there was greater awareness, it was "just slightly chilling to know it's [the] most common cancer now". "[Men] were getting [prostate cancer] before," he explained, "but we just didn't know about it." Prostate cancer symptoms and treatment: What to check for Two years ago, the charity said it had seen a spike in demand for support after Owen opened up about his diagnosis. One BBC Midlands Today viewer last year said he believed he could owe his life to the presenter after his own said that on television "you talk about health issues a lot and that's why I think I became so aware of prostate cancer".He stated that from his early 60s he began having checks and it was because he had talked about it so much on who hosts Midlands Today twice a week, celebrated 50 years in broadcasting in 2023, the same year he was diagnosed and revealed he had a prostate-specific antigen (PSA) blood test that had shown slightly elevated results and his GP insisted that he see a led to diagnosis and surgery. Owen said while he could get tired now, "then again I am 77", and overall, he was doing "very well"."I'm still having PSA every six months and so far it's undetectable... My current PSA numbers are negligible."You can never say never, but at this stage I feel very hopeful that I've got a few more years left in me."[I] feel very lucky, very grateful that I've come through what was a pretty horrible time." Follow BBC Birmingham on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
The Independent
27-01-2025
- Health
- The Independent
Prostate cancer now most common cancer in UK as pressure grows for national screening
Prostate cancer is now the most common cancer in the UK, according to new analysis - as a leading charity renewed its calls for a national screening program. NHS data found 55,033 men were diagnosed with prostate cancer in England in 2023, compared to 47,526 breast cancer cases the same year. The data showed diagnoses of the disease overtook breast cancer in 2022 and 2023, said Prostate Cancer UK, which added that there has been a 25 per cent increase in cases between 2019 and 2023. It follows a rise in awareness of the disease with a series of high-profile names sharing their battles with the condition, including Stephen Fry, Nick Owen and Chris Hoy. Chiara De Biase, director of Health Services, Equity and Improvement at Prostate Cancer UK, said: 'These new figures show that awareness is now growing across the UK, and we're proud to have played our part in this alongside our supporters and the NHS. 'More men than ever are learning about their risk, speaking to their GP about the PSA blood test, and then taking the best next steps.' The data has prompted the charity to renew its calls for a national screening programme. The NHS does not offer routine prostate-specific antigen (PSA) blood testing for prostate cancer, but says people may be offered the test if their doctor thinks they have symptoms of the disease. Anyone aged over 50 can also ask for a PSA test. The NHS's UK national screening committee is reviewing the evidence for prostate cancer screening programmes. Ms de Biase said: ' At the moment, there's no screening programme for prostate cancer, and not every man has a fair shot at getting diagnosed earlier. 'We face a dreadful North-South divide in the UK, where you're more likely to get an incurable diagnosis in certain areas than others. Plus, men living in more deprived areas are less likely to get the treatments they need.' But Professor Peter Johnson, NHS national clinical director for cancer, said: 'Thanks to the hard work of NHS staff and our effective awareness campaigns, we are diagnosing more men with prostate cancer at an earlier stage than ever before, so they have the best possible chance of receiving effective treatment. 'We know that coming forward for prostate checks can be daunting, but it could save your life, so we would encourage men to consult the prostate cancer symptoms advice available on and to see their GP as soon as possible if they are concerned.' Ian Phillipson, 66, from Burghill in Herefordshire, said he spoke to his GP about getting tested for prostate cancer after seeing TV presenter Nick Owens speak about his own diagnosis. 'It sounds a bit melodramatic to say Nick Owen saved my life, but who knows if and when I would have found out I had prostate cancer if I hadn't caught him on TV that evening,' Mr Phillipson said. 'I had a couple of PSA blood tests, and the second one I had at the end of November 2023 indicated a high reading. After an MRI and a biopsy, I was diagnosed with prostate cancer in January 2024. I couldn't believe it – I hadn't felt ill or had any reason to suspect I had cancer. If I hadn't been watching the TV that day, I might not have got tested at all.' A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: 'This is a grim milestone and while more men are getting checked, they are waiting too long for diagnosis and treatment. 'Through our Plan for Change we are working to catch cancer earlier and treat it faster – opening community diagnostic centres for longer, launching 17 new surgical hubs across the country and investing in research.'
