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02 Mar 2018Stephen Fry calls for all men to know their risk after his treatment for prostate cancer
The much-loved writer, presenter and actor has followed up last week's shock announcement on social media that he's recovering from prostate cancer surgery with a new tweet of our infographic, encouraging others to know their risk of the most common cancer in men.
After stepping out of the limelight at the start of the year, and unavailable to host the BAFTA awards last month for the first time in many years, Stephen Fry bravely opened up to his 13 million followers on Twitter last week, revealing he'd been undergoing treatment for prostate cancer.
In a 13-minute video on his website, the author and presenter described how he was diagnosed with the disease after a routine health check discovered he had a high PSA level. He then underwent surgery in January.
"It all seemed to go pretty well," he said. "They took the prostate out, they took out 11 lymph nodes. The various bits that were taken out were examined and it turned out I had a Gleason score of nine, and considering 10 is the maximum, it was clearly an aggressive little bugger."
Stephen is currently recovering well and thanks his doctors' early intervention for saving his life. But now, in a new tweet showcasing one of our infographics, he's urging all men to know their risk of prostate cancer and get checked early too.
Just as it does for over 47000 UK men every year, prostate cancer happened to me. Mercifully it was caught and treated early, I’m recovering. It’s important to know your risk. Do talk to your GP or contact @ProstateUK for support if you have concerns. https://t.co/HXUNRtPwm8 pic.twitter.com/7VdfdVrC36
— Stephen Fry (@stephenfry) 2 March 2018
Our chief executive, Angela Culhane, is hugely grateful to Stephen for raising awareness of a disease that is "often swept under the carpet".
"We salute Stephen for his courage in speaking out about his personal experience and wish him all the very best for his recovery," she says.
"1 in 8 men will get prostate cancer in their lifetime, and it’s now the third biggest cancer killer. But if it is caught early, it can more often than not be treated successfully, which is why awareness like this is so important.
"It is crucial for every man to acknowledge the threat that prostate cancer can pose to his life. Some men in particular face a higher than average risk and so if you are over 50, black, or have a family history of prostate cancer, it’s important that you to speak to your GP about the disease."
Anyone with any concerns can speak to Prostate Cancer UK’s specialist nurses on 0800 084 8383 or you can email and live chat them too.