Left to the vagaries of chance and having or noticing ‘rare’ symptoms on the pathway to being diagnosed with Prostate Cancer by the NHS, I would now be dead.

I wrote about it in my book, ‘Sailing through life…‘ Now, unfortunately out of print, but I do have some copies.

The extraordinary decision not to begin a National Prostate Cancer Screening Programme is quite frankly bizarre and very sad for the prospects for many men.

Bowel Cancer is screened for on a two-yearly basis for men and women over sixty.

Women are screened for Cervical and Breast Cancer.

Men are allowed to die. This of course is beneficial for those paying our pensions: it saves them a huge amount of money.

What the media screen and air time did not go on to explain yesterday was that men over the age of fifty are entitled to ask for a Prostate Cancer PSA test.

So, if you are an ethnic black African or Caribbean man, it is common sense: you are at greatest risk. Get a test done.

If you are one of the many other ethnicities there is a lesser chance, ‘they’ say, however, go to your GP Surgery and get it done.

Do not be put off by the soothe-sayers spouting ‘more harm is done’ for if you’re positive and treatment is deemed necessary, catching it early is far, far better…

It saved my life…

Ringing the Bell after my radiotherapy treatment ended.