'Prostate cancer test would have saved me'

Tony Collier says he was "diagnosed terminal" at 60 and did not know about his right to a PSA test from aged 50

A marathon runner has said a prostrate cancer test would have saved him from his terminal diagnosis.

Tony Collier, 68, who has run 19 marathons since the age of 50, was diagnosed eight years ago after he went to a doctor with a groin strain while training.

Mr Collier, from Altrincham, Greater Manchester, said it was a "real shock" when he was diagnosed with incurable prostrate cancer and that a PSA blood test could have detected it much earlier.

The UK National Screening Committee - which advises governments across the UK - decided this week not to recommend mass screening on the NHS for prostate cancer, the most common form of cancer in men that leads to 12,000 deaths across the UK each year.

Mr Collier's marathon running has included all six of the World Marathon Majors.

He said he went to see a sports injuries doctor when a groin strain was hampering his training when he was 60. "We had an MRI scan done, and he saw something wrong with the pelvic bone.

"And, literally, within 48 hours, he told me it was prostate cancer. And within 10 days, it was confirmed as incurable prostate cancer.

"And I was given a worst case prognosis of two to three years, and then I was told I'd probably had it developing for 10 years."

He added: "I've been completely symptom free until the groin strain. So it was a real shock."

• Prostate cancer screening: what you need to know

He said he a PSA blood test would have detected his cancer "much earlier when it was curable" and "I would have had a much different outcome and been leading a very different life to the one I'm leading now".

He added a national screening programme would "definitely save lives" and he was "incredibly disappointed" by the decision of the committee.

'Diagnosed terminal'

"The difference to me would have been very clear," Mr Collier added, "because I was diagnosed terminal at 60.

"I had a right to the PSA blood test from age 50, but I didn't know about my right to that PSA test and therefore didn't know to ask for it."

On Friday, it was announced that a hugely influential group of experts did not believe a screening programme for all men in the UK was justified.

Instead, they say only men with specific genetic mutations that lead to more aggressive tumours should be eligible - ruling out black men, who have double the risk, and men who have the disease running through their families.

Cancer Research UK said it supported the committee's expert advice, however, Laura Kerby, chief executive of Prostate Cancer UK, said: "The committee's decision will come as a blow to the tens of thousands of men, loved ones and families who've fought for a screening programme."

She added "we're deeply disappointed, but as determined as ever".

Ms Kerby went on: "People are sick and tired of seeing the men they love harmed by this disease, and we won't rest until no man's diagnosis is left to chance."

How to get a PSA test

Routine PSA testing is not offered on the NHS.

• You may be offered a PSA test if a doctor thinks you have symptoms that could be prostate cancer

• If you're having treatment for a prostate condition you may be offered regular PSA tests to check how the treatment is working

• Men aged 50 or over can ask their GP for a PSA test, even if they do not have symptoms. Anyone aged 50 or over with a prostate can ask for a PSA test

Source: NHS