Referee's terminal diagnosis after match collapse

A rugby referee was diagnosed with stage four cancer after collapsing during a match.

Andrew Gibson, from Chipping Sodbury near Bristol, said the prostate cancer diagnosis in April 2020 came out of the blue.

He was originally told that he only two years to live but believes his treatment has helped him survive longer.

He has urged others to see a doctor "the minute they noticed anything different".

“I had no indication – I was still refereeing; you know, very fast rugby at Bristol Academy on that final Sunday.

"But since that one day, I’ve not been able to do anything," said Mr Gibson, who has a military background.

“It was masked by the fact that I was still active, still running around at 54, like a 24-year-old, like a gazelle. So why would I worry?

“But I was one of those 10,000 people undetected each year who is suffering from prostate cancer.”

Recalling the day when he collapsed, Mr Gibson said: “I did feel unwell clearly. I went to the GP and couldn’t get in. It was the start of the lockdown.

“Everyone was frightened to death. I ended up at the emergency department in Southmead and saw a consultant that I knew.

“I had a very quick, primary diagnostics and I could just tell by the body language of the ultrasound that something wasn’t quite right.

“I know because when you see the size of a prostate it should be the size of a walnut and mine was the size of a melon.”

Mr Gibson said there were early warning symptoms that he "did not take seriously".

These included recurring hip and backaches and being diagnosed with a urinary tract infection (UTI) multiple times.

Talking about his diagnosis, he said: “The PSA [prostate-specific antigen] levels - which is a general screening program with a blood test - in a normal, average adult male would be around five. Mine was 996.

“So clearly, something was wrong. That next day I started to bleed from down below, and ended up in the emergency department.

“And that’s where everything changed.”

‘Know Your Roots’, a campaign on prostate cancer awareness by private healthcare provider Genesis Care, is targeted at ensuring people get an early diagnosis.

Mr Gibson, who is closely associated with the campaign now, began his relationship with the campaign when he was first diagnosed.

He said: “I was very lucky, because I accessed Genesis Care up in Filton in Bristol.

“And they’ve been my lifeline since that day one when I went in, and they are every day now in fact.

“I’ve been through chemotherapy, targeted radiotherapy. I’m on so many medications, but it’s a testament that I’m here today. I was given two years to live and here we are.”

Mr. Gibson says he was told has a 30% chance of survival until he crosses the five-year mark, but is adamant on defying these numbers.

He said: “They’re just statistics.

"I try and beat those numbers just by living and just by being able to get out there and do the things that I still love – which is like driving my tractor, hanging off cliffs with ropes and working with police, fire and ambulance colleagues.

“I just love what I do, so I think that’s what helps.”

He also urged all men above 45, especially black and caucasian men, to have a “better relationship” with their GP.

Mr Gibson also acknowledged that the illness has allowed his family to come together to create more memories, despite it lingering over them constantly.

“What I say to people is that once you wake up in the morning – wake up, sit up, stand up, take that first step – and if you do that whatever your situation, you’re more than halfway there.”

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