Prostate cancer survivor busts testing myths

A man from Kent who has recovered from prostate cancer has urged men not to be fearful of getting tested for the disease.

Dave Gibbons, from Shottenden, Canterbury, was diagnosed with prostate cancer in October 2023 after his answers to a questionnaire sparked concern from his GP.

This Men's Health Week, a now "happy and healthy" Mr Gibbons wants to dispel myths around the testing process, which he clarified does not begin with a rectal examination.

He said: "Fear of the finger is understandable... [but] the initial check is not invasive. There's no reason not to do it."

While a digital rectal examination has historically been used as a standard test, this is no longer the case.

The process, as it did with Mr Gibbons, starts with a blood test.

His doctor brought him in for a blood test in response to an answer given to a question about erectile function. This led to Mr Gibbons undergoing an MRI examination.

A few months after receiving his diagnosis, he underwent surgery in January 2024 to remove his prostate.

Mr Gibbons said: "Thanks to my doctor being proactive it was caught in time...[otherwise] it could have been too late."

According to Prostate Cancer UK, this form of cancer is the most common in men - more than 50,000 are diagnosed each year in the UK, and one in eight will have the disease in their lifetime.

This is why the charity's assistant director of health improvement, Amy Rylance, thinks it is essential to bust the myths around testing.

She said: "For a long time, prostate cancer testing has been associated with the rectal exam, and the fear and stigma around 'the finger' puts men off speaking to a GP about the disease, often until it's too late for their cancer to be cured.

"But now the experts agree that it's out of date and no longer necessary."

Mr Gibbons called for a national screening programme for the disease, arguing that more men would be encouraged to get a blood test.

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