A BUSINESS owner from Worcester who survived prostate cancer is raising awareness of the disease and urging men over the age of 50 to get tested regularly, writes Maya Dabrowska.
Duncan Sutcliffe had been a regular participant of the annual PSA testing events which were held thanks to a local business group, Worcestershire Ambassadors. It sees men get tested and given pie and chips in return for an exchange of a donation.
About one in eight men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer in their lifetime, making it the most commonly diagnosed cancer in men in the UK, yet there is no routine testing.
After missing the 2025 event, Duncan took the test via his doctor’s surgery and it turned out to be positive.
This led to a regular summer of activity, working and quality time to be mixed with examinations, consultations, an MRI scan and a biopsy revealing he was cancer positive despite being without symptoms.
Due to the PSA test being requested as a result of regular testing, the cancer had been detected early and had therefore only resulted in small area of infection, leading to a smooth removal of the prostate.
Duncan suffered majorly for three months after his surgery in which he struggled severely, lacking energy to complete even simple tasks.
After a battle and a full recovery, he has returned to full-time work and is able to enjoy activities he had before, such as running and socialising with others.
Now, having beaten his diagnosis, Duncan has made it a passion of his to raise awareness of the importance of men getting PSA tested regularly, even if they may not show symptoms.
Duncan has said: “My case is like so many – I lead a fairly healthy lifestyle, exercise regularly and showed no signs of being ill.
“Fortunately, I was a regular attendee of a local testing event which, when I missed it last year, spurred me to get a test via my GP.
“My following positive diagnosis could not have been handled better by the consultants and my treatment, although uncomfortable and needing several months of recovery, means that fortunately I am now cancer-free.
“It’s vital that men over the age of 50 are aware of their personal risk factors and should talk to their GP about getting an annual PSA test in order to have the best chance of remaining cancer-free.”
Visit the Prostate Cancer UK charity’s website at: prostatecanceruk.org for more on the risk factors and how to go about getting a PSA test.
