In 2008 I was looking forward to retirement. However I knew I had high blood pressure and raised cholesterol levels. Also I was aware that I was waking at night, often several times, for a pee. I went to my GP. He was able to deal with the first two problems through medication but arranged for me to have a blood sample taken for a PSA test.

In the spring of 2012, my GP, responding to my complaint that I was having to visit the loo several times a night, reported that I had a PSA of 38. This led to a prostate biopsy at the hospital. This biopsy revealed that five out of twelve core samples had evidence of cancer, with a Gleason score of eight.

Benjamin Franklyn said there are only two things certain in life; death and taxes. Taxes I can vouch for, but death? Like most people, you think you are immortal. I certainly did. That is until the hospital specialist told me I had prostate cancer!

I am 73 years old. In October 2007 I was diagnosed with advanced prostate cancer; this revelation came as quite a shock at the time as I had displayed none of the usual symptoms, was above average fitness, had a very healthy well balanced diet and up to that point, never had any serious illness to speak of.

At the age of 66, I discovered that I had an enlarged prostate and my PSA was 9. Subsequent scans and a biopsy diagnosed prostate cancer. Fortunately, although aggressive with a Gleason score of 8, the cancer was confined to the prostate. Medical advice was to have the prostate removed.

‘I’ve got you a doctor’s appointment’, my wife said at length, somewhat exasperated.

I’d had a cough for many months now, nothing serious, nothing heavy, just an occasional tickle.  But that was how I found myself listening to the doctor some weeks later saying he’d run some tests and the cough was nothing to worry about, though he was deliberating over other test results he’d run at the same time.

My father died of PC when he was 66. I reported to my GP that I had started to have urinary, urgency incontinence at 65. This turned out to be due to an over-active bladder and nothing to do with PC. However I started to have regular PSA tests. These had low values until 2009 (aged 67) when they started to rise.

I am in my mid-sixties. My story begins mid 2010. After several weeks of going for a wee 4-5 times a night, which had been rare previously, it dawned on me that I should get this checked. (Jumping ahead for a moment: ironically, it stopped soon after I got into the prostate cancer 'system', and I've had no other symptoms either.)

A ‘potted history’ of my Prostate problems from March 2010

1. March 2010 Prostate Cancer diagnosed at MK Hospital with a PSA of 147.

2. Prescribed “Zoladex” implants every three months with watch and wait.

In September2013, I started having pains between my right lower abdomen and my right testicle, I took some medications and it stopped. By February 2014 the pains started again. This time it was excruciating and I was asked by a medical doctor to do a laboratory test. 

We received the following article from NIHR Clinical Research Network (CRN) and were given permission to publish it online. Michael Howard didn’t have prostate cancer but his spirit in fighting lymphocytic leukaemia is stimulating. His taking part in NHS research projects proved to be beneficial.