Cancer patient urges take-up of regular screening

Geoff Le Gallez was diagnosed with cancer after a routine screening test

A cancer patient said he owed his life to the regular screening that led to his early diagnosis.

Geoff Le Gallez, 73, was referred for investigations after a prostate-specific antigen (PSA) blood test in 2023 gave cause for concern, despite him having no symptoms.

Further tests showed his prostate was healthy but revealed signs of bowel cancer that required surgery three months later.

The early diagnosis - caught by the PSA test - means he has now been given the all-clear.

"I’ve been having regular PSA tests since I was 60," said Mr Le Gallez, who lives in Guernsey.

"It’s important to raise awareness and make sure people listen to the advice that they get and take action, so they get a good chance like me.

"Things have moved on and there are so many tests now that can pick up things early."

He added he "wouldn't be sat here" without the routine testing.

His surgeon, Michael Van Den Bossche, said the case demonstrated the importance of an early diagnosis.

"Geoff’s journey from a routine PSA test to the discovery of an abnormality in the rectal wall via MRI, and the final confirmation of a cancerous growth through endoscopy, has resulted in a curative operation that offers hope for the future," he said.

The PSA test is a simple blood test that can help detect prostate cancer, which affects one in every eight men in the UK.

Cancer charities say men who are black or aged over 50 are particularly at risk.

Bowel cancer is the fourth most common cancer in the UK but is treatable and curable if detected early through screening, according to health experts.