England Walking Football captain calls for men to request a blood test to check for prostate cancer

David ‘Bam Bam’ Bartholomew, 54, from Lupset, was diagnosed with prostate cancer just last Thursday.

David’s dad, Gerald, was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2012 and passed away in April of this year.

Following his dad’s passing, David plucked up the courage to request a prostate specific antigen (PSA) blood test from his GP to see whether he was at risk of the cancer, despite being fit and healthy and displaying no symptoms.

David, who was at a higher risk of developing prostate cancer because of his age, family history and being mixed race, found out that he did indeed have the cancer following the PSA test and subsequent MRI scans and biopsy.

According to the charity Prostate Cancer UK, men have the right to a PSA test if they are over 50 and have “thought carefully about the advantages and disadvantages”.

Men who are black and have a family history of prostate cancer will be at an increased risk, says the charity.

David said: “I was diagnosed last Thursday, but I feel fine. I’ve had no symptoms whatsoever, I’m looking forward to playing with my football team on Thursday.

“My dad got prostate cancer about ten years ago, I never did anything about it back then. He passed away in March and after putting it off for a while, I decided that I would get the test.”

According to the NHS, the main symptoms of prostate cancer is an increased need to pee, straining while you pee and a feeling that your bladder has not fully emptied after urinating.

Prostate cancer is given a grade called a Gleason Score, with the lowest score being six, which is a low-grade cancer, seven being a medium-grade cancer and eight, nine or 10, being a high-grade cancer.

David was given a Gleason grade seven cancer but says it “could have been a five or a six” if it didn’t take a month to organise the blood test.

He said: “The process to get the test took a month, I believe if I had the test sooner, it would have been picked up on and it wouldn’t have progressed to being a grade seven.”

David wants men to know that there is “no shame” in requesting a PSA test and that doctors do not need to perform a physical examination of the prostate and that it can be diagnosed through blood tests, MRI scans and a biopsy instead.

David added: “A lot of guys think that checking for prostate cancer means a finger up the bum by a doctor. You don’t need to have that done, you can get an MRI done instead.

“If they suspect that you have prostate cancer, you may need to have a biopsy but by the time you get to that stage, you want to find out what is wrong so it shouldn’t be a worry, and they will numb the area first.”

There are different options of treating prostate cancer, including monitoring the condition, surgically removing the cancer or radiotherapy.

David has opted for radiotherapy and will begin his treatment in Leeds next week. “The nurse went into detail about the positives and negatives of each treatment”, he said.

“I’ve chosen to undertake twenty days of radiotherapy in Leeds as I think it is the right decision for me. Hopefully after the month, the cancer will have disappeared. I will then have to test for it twice a year.”

A keen footballer and captain of the Walking Football team for England and the North East, David has encouraged all of his team mates to book themselves in for a PSA test.

David added: “Cancer is just one of those things that happens. If you can prevent it by just going for a ten minute blood test, then you should do it.

“PSA tests should be prioritised, I did it because of what happened to my dad. If I didn’t go for the test, then I wouldn’t be here this time next year because the cancer would have spread. The stigma needs to go.”

For more information on prostate cancer, visit the NHS, or Prostate Cancer UK.