Selwyn, 63, started to get yearly checks after his father was diagnosed with prostate cancer

Record numbers of men are getting checked for prostate cancer thanks to a lifesaving awareness raising campaign, the NHS said today.

Urgent referrals for urological cancers reached an all-time high in March this year, with almost 25,000 people (24,331) checked in just one month, with 2,663 in the North West, following a campaign launched by the NHS and Prostate Cancer UK in February.

The NHS teamed up with Prostate Cancer UK to deliver a six-week campaign from mid-February, urging men to use the charity’s online risk checker in a bid to reduce the shortfall in men starting prostate cancer treatment since the pandemic began.

The latest NHS figures show the campaign had an immediate impact as urological cancer referrals in March increased by more than a fifth (23%) compared to the previous month and are up by almost one third (30%) compared with the same month last year.

NHS chief executive Amanda Pritchard praised the campaign today and said that the drive will have already helped to catch more cases of prostate cancer and that “talking about cancer helps the NHS to save more lives.”

Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men with 1 in 8 getting it in their lifetime. Men over 50, black men, or those whose father or brother had the disease are at even greater risk.

Symptoms of prostate cancer often do not show up during early stages but men who have higher risk are encouraged to come forward for checks.

Selwyn Sylvester, 63, a retired fashion designer from Cheshire was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2020 after yearly checks following his own father’s diagnosis a few years before.

Selwyn said: “My father was diagnosed with prostate cancer 11 years ago and that was a wakeup call for me. 1 in 4 black men will get prostate cancer at some point in their life and we didn’t know this. So once a year I would see my GP and I’d have a check. In December 2020 the number on the test came back quite high. After a couple of tests with my GP, which showed my antigens were quite high, I booked in for a scan. Biopsies were taken and 2 weeks it was confirmed that I had prostate cancer.

“I can remember taking the phone call and speaking to the consultant and as soon as I put the phone down, I burst into tears for about half an hour. I was referred to two consultants which made it all the harder, the oncologist and the surgeon. I was given the choice of radiotherapy or surgery. This was March 2021. Coincidentally the oncologist had treated my father years before and having talked me through the radiotherapy process, based on me being quite fit and healthy, I was recommend you go for surgery. It is good that often there are options for you and your life, compared to when my father had prostate cancer.

“Three weeks later, I had surgery and it took me around three weeks to recover.

“At the moment I’m seeing my consultant every 3 months for checkups and all so far have come back absolutely fine.

“It is great that more and more people are coming forward for checks, but for those who are still wary or unsure, please don’t be afraid to come forward. It’s better to know your risk than do something when it’s too late. I did go through pangs of ‘why me?’ but I am so glad I got those checks. The earlier you do it the better. More often than not, it won’t be anything but if you do have it and it is detected you are more likely to live a longer life. It is always better to know.”

More than half a million people (550,000) checked their risk of developing the disease online during the six weeks of the campaign with men deemed high risk encouraged to visit their GP to get checked out.

Health chiefs have doubled spending on cancer awareness campaigns since before the pandemic.

This high-profile prostate campaign coincided with the launch of a new phase of the NHS’s ‘Help Us Help You’ campaign which focused on helping people overcome barriers like fear and anxiety that often delay or prevent them coming forward – with both running across TV, radio, print, social media and out-of-home advertising.

Dr Gareth Wallis, Medical Director for System Improvement and Professional Standards at NHS England North West, said: “Lives are being saved thanks to a record-breaking number of men taking the vital decision to get an NHS cancer check.

“We have seen all-time high levels of referrals for urological cancers but we know there is more to do to catch cancers earlier, which is why we’ve been investing in order to expand diagnostic and treatment capacity to treat more people sooner, as part of the most ambitious recovery plan in NHS history.

“It can feel daunting confronting issues but talking about cancer can save lives, and it is so important that anyone at higher risk or who has concerns, follows the lead of people like Selwyn.”

Research has shown that 56% of people say a cancer diagnosis is their biggest health fear with 42% of those surveyed saying they would ignore symptoms, look for answers online or wait until anything has changed before seeing a GP.

Prostate cancer, one of the most commonly diagnosed cancers, is very treatable if caught early, so it’s vitally important that these men are found quickly before their cancer spreads. Research suggests treatment at stages 1 and 2 has a near 100% survival rate compared to around 50% at stage 4.

While most men with early prostate cancer won’t have any signs or symptoms of the disease, symptoms to be aware of include needing to pee more frequently, weak flow, and blood in your urine. For a full list, see the NHS website https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/prostate-cancer/symptoms/

Through the NHS and charity campaign, men are encouraged to learn more about their risk via the online risk checker, which is higher in men over 50, black men and men whose father or brother had the disease.

Chiara De Biase, Director of Support & Influencing at Prostate Cancer UK, said: “Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men, but the pandemic meant thousands of men did not come forward for diagnosis and could be missing out on life-saving treatment.

“We’re delighted that record numbers of men have already spoken to their GP, because it’s so important that these men are found and referred.

“But we can’t stop here. We need to keep up the momentum, which is why we’re asking everyone to keep sharing our risk checker so even more men can find out about their risk and what to do about it.”

The latest monthly performance stats also showed the NHS saw the highest month on record for total cancer referrals, with more than a quarter of a million people checked in March alone – an almost 40% increase on the number of checks made in March 2020.

Alongside this, almost 30,000 people started treatment for cancer (28,378) – the second highest number on record. This is second only to March 2020, with 28,881 people starting treatment. 

Local teams across the country are working to roll out initiatives including one stop shops for tests, mobile clinics and cancer symptom hotlines, ensuring people are diagnosed and treated as early as possible to give them a much better chance of beating the disease.  

Check your risk using Prostate Cancer UK’s online risk checker at prostatecanceruk.org/riskcheck