My friend's prostate cancer news led to my own diagnosis

Watch: My friend’s prostate cancer diagnosis saved my life

A dad-of-three is urging other men to get tested for prostate cancer after revealing how his friend's diagnosis encouraged him to get checked and led to him discovering he had the disease too.

Rupert Crowfoot, 57, from Maidenhead, Berkshire, decided to visit his GP to get tested after speaking to a friend who had recently had his prostate removed. "If I hadn't had that chat with my friend and gone for a check-up my outcome could have been much worse," he explains. "I am very grateful that I had that conversation with my friend and he shared the information with me.

"I have since had the same conversation with a lot of my friends to share my own experience," he continues. "Men need to speak out about their health more - it [prostate cancer] is the biggest cancer killer for men."

In October 2023, Rupert, who is CEO of a physio company, was chatting with his friend, James, who told him he had been diagnosed with prostate cancer and had his prostate removed. "My friend, who had been living in Australia for 20 years, had come to visit and mentioned how he was previously diagnosed with prostate cancer and we got talking about it.

Despite having no symptoms, other than feeling slightly "off his normal pace" in terms of energy levels, Rupert made an appointment to see his GP and have a blood test, but the GP also suggested he have a PSA test, a blood test to help check for prostate conditions such as prostate cancer or an enlarged prostate.

Though his blood test was fine his PSA levels highlighted a potential issue, so Rupert was referred for an MRI scan and a biopsy, and, on December 27, 2023, he was given a prostate cancer diagnosis. "In a way I was lucky as I felt like I knew it was coming," he says of the moment. "My consultant had been clear to say that he didn't like the look of the results and the biopsy confirmed that for sure. But it is not something you want to hear. It is always a shock and a body blow, you always think it won't happen to you."

Rupert underwent a successful operation to remove his prostate in February 2024, but his prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels continued to rise, which worried his doctors. Following a PET scan in August this year Rupert was diagnosed with stage 4 metastatic prostate cancer in his spine.

"That was the toughest part if I am really honest," he says of his latest diagnosis. "That call I took felt like a punch in the stomach because you think the prostate cancer diagnosis is the worst news you can get. You feel like you have dealt with it and then you find it has spread somewhere else - that was one of my lowest moments."

Rupert is about to start radiotherapy, followed by six weeks of salvage radiotherapy - a cancer treatment for men who have had their prostate removed. "I am trying to remain positive and grateful for everything I can still do," he says of the future. "I am not at the stage where I have lost my health but, I will get to that point and it will be very hard."

His latest diagnosis has led to Rupert having a different perspective on life. "I am trying to make the most of every day," he explains. "It has certainly dialled things up, I am much more appreciative of life and I notice things a lot more."

According to Prostate Cancer UK, one in eight men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer in their lifetime. On average more than 52,000 men are diagnosed with prostate cancer every year.

"We’re so sorry to hear about Rupert’s diagnosis of stage 4 prostate cancer, but we’re inspired by the energy with which he is living life with his diagnosis," says Amy Rylance, assistant director of health improvement at Prostate Cancer UK.

"Rupert’s story illustrates just how important it is to talk about this disease, and who is at risk of it. We know that men over 50 — or over 45 if you're black or have a family history of prostate cancer — are all at higher risk of getting the disease."

What is a PSA test?

You can have a PSA test at your GP surgery. You may be recommended one if you’re worried about prostate problems, if you’re at increased risk of getting prostate cancer, or if you have symptoms such as problems urinating.

Prostate Cancer UK explains that, if you don’t have symptoms, your doctor or practice nurse should talk to you about the advantages and disadvantages of the test before you decide to have one.

If you decide to have one, your GP may suggest also undergoing a physical prostate exam and a urine test to rule out a urine infection. However, you can decide to have a PSA test alone.

The test involves taking a sample of your blood and sending it to a laboratory to be tested. The amount of PSA in your blood will be measured and it can take one to two weeks to get your test results.

PSA is a protein produced by normal cells in the prostate, but also by prostate cancer cells. It’s normal to have a small amount of PSA in your blood, and as you get older and your prostate gets bigger, the levels rise slightly.

However, a raised PSA level may suggest you have a problem with your prostate. It may not necessarily be cancer, but your doctor can help investigate it further.

Read more about prostate cancer:

• What to expect during a prostate exam, as Chris Hoy urges men to get checked (Yahoo Life, 4-min read)

• Chris Hoy hopes to 'change perspective' of living with stage four cancer (Yahoo Life UK, 3-min read)

• My prostate cancer diagnosis devastated me - but I'm now in a good place (T&A, 4-min read)