Our very own Scrooge, Martin Harris has emailed and asked me to update you all on his recent battle with prostate cancer. He just got an email from his surgeon saying that his latest blood test showed a PSA of 0.1, which means that cancer is undetectable, but if he hadn't acted quickly and pushed for further tests, that might not have been the case.

From Martin:

"This is Scrooge giving his most severe warning ever, having literally been to his own grave stone and back, to warn his fellow men where ever they may be, to not ignore this increasing problem that is taking out one man an hour in England alone, because there really are no symptoms to draw attention to this Silent Killer. You can understand with time off for recovery, I've felt it my mission to publicize this information and hence request that you send this out to our Fair family in the hope of helping raise awareness. I've attached an article that I wrote for the local press and have been interviewed on BBC Radio with more chances of publicity yet to come acting on behalf of the Prostate Cancer Charity.


Don't Hesitate Or It Could Be Too Late
It was only last summer, when I was feeling quite well, that I remembered having a slight fluctuation in my waterworks for about a month back in the spring. Being of that age when they talk about the possibility of Prostate Cancer, (of which I knew absolutely nothing,) I decided to go to the doctor to have a check up. The blood test revealed a PSA of 4.6 to which the doctor advised, Not to worry, let’s do another blood test in 9 months to see if there’s any change.

That clearly seemed the easy option but I felt driven somehow to know more. So after a digital inspection, I had a biopsy which indicated that I had Prostate Cancer with a Gleeson Count of 3 plus 4 equaling 7 out of 10, (which is apparently better than a 4 plus 3, indicating the rate of growth.) I was told, It’s contained and small as we’ve caught it in the early stages, so you have a year to do something about it.

After consultations with Oncology, Urology and Laparoscopic, I decided to go to Kings College Hospital for the Laparoscopic surgery in the skilled hands of their leading surgeon, considered the best in this country. However he thought I should have surgery in only 6 months, so an appointment was set for early January, in two and half months to be safe. (I later found out that he is the best in the world, giving demonstration surgeries in many other countries including North America. I must say that the staff at Kings Hospital is brilliant! Thank God for the NHS!!)
Nervous? You bet but in the hands of the best I felt somewhat comforted. The results of the pre-op blood test showed that the PSA had gone up to 4.7 but they said anything less than 5 is still well contained and not to worry.

On January 11th at 8 am I went into surgery and was out of it for over 4 hours. The surgeons said that the cancer was much bigger than they had expected and they had to cut extremely close to the outer membrane, even shaving off some nerves to make sure they got all of the cancer. The biopsy of the prostate revealed that there was one point where it was about to break through. In other words, I was literally right at the edge before it would metastases!

When I asked about the original diagnosis of Not to worry, do another blood test in 9 months, the surgeon said in 9 months it would have been too late! Regarding the advise You’ve got a year to do something, he said usually they recommend a year if they catch it early, but I was at the other end of the year and had no time left!

Clearly the current tests may not reveal the whole story.
The surgeon agreed and said he would contact the local doctors using my case to review their basis for diagnosis. He encouraged me to publicize my situation and thanked me for doing so, as it highlights the importance for men over 40 to get a check up and if there is any doubt, to be proactive for their own lives sack and ask for a biopsy. In America they have regular check-ups as standard practice, so you need to be assertive with the NHS, as wonderful as they are.

In my follow up consultations with the surgeon, it was said that Prostate Cancer really doesn’t have any symptoms and at best may manifest itself with some unusual urinal behaviour including traces of blood. In my case, there were no obvious symptoms, which is the norm, hence it’s nick-name, The Silent Killer.

Just a few years ago they used to have a benchmark of PSA 11 before investigating the prostate, but as cases have rapidly increased, it has been dropped down to 5. Kings College Hospital being on the cutting edge of prostate cancer research, (pun intended,) have recently lowered their own benchmark figure from PSA 4.5 to 3.5 and now it’s 2.5 especially for younger men in their 40s, in an effort to catch it early!
Apparently if found in much older men, it’s not so much of a problem and as doctors will recite, most men die with prostate cancer, not of it. It is known to be very slow growing, but there are exceptions especially in younger men, as I found out!

Naturally I had lots of questions. How long had this cancer been growing in me? What would have happened if I hadn’t felt driven to take myself to the doctors for a check up, (especially as there were no symptoms?) When and what would manifest itself first to indicate that something was very wrong and would it have been too late?

Yes they have many different ways to deal with prostate cancer that has metastases but once it breaks through into the lymph glands or the bones, what then? Today I would have continued to be a very healthy specimen for my age, eating and exercising better than most, unaware of what’s going on down in the fire below.

Fact: In the UK every hour a man dies of prostate cancer, usually because he didn’t know of the danger or if he did, was too afraid to go and have a check up!

In retrospect I realized my need to know more when first offered the easy option choice between, relax and have another blood test in 9 months or face intrusive anal-inspections, was God’s Guidance as part of his plan, to let me go through all this, so that I could still be here today to encourage those afraid to ask, to be bold and do so!

Well coincidentally, The Prostate Cancer Charity who head up the loud proclamation to all men to be assertive about their own health, are organizing Prostate Cancer Awareness. (Many famous sportsmen and celebrities are involved assisted by Marks and Spencers annual promotion.) They are deadly serious about helping men who won’t help themselves, using their slogan, Real Men Do Something About It! This is a clear statement drawing attention to the alarming facts that Prostate Cancer is the most common male cancer in the UK with 35,000 men diagnosed annually.

But many don’t get diagnosed, hence, one dies every hour….the next could be you!

To illustrate just how serious this is, I have explained my own scary wake up call to a many friends, who have admitted they’d be too afraid to go and find out and would rathere not know! I was gobsmacked!
I hope you can understand now why I implore men over 40 to contact: their doctor or www.Prostate-Cancer.org.uk or Awareness-week@prostate-cancer.org.uk or
Prostate Cancer Awareness Hotline on 0208 222 7128, because Knowledge is power!
At least make a donation towards helping their research save thousands of lives!

I know that I am one very lucky cancer-survivor, (thank God for his prompting,) and therefore feel it is my responsibility to tell you the truth. Now, it’s up to you!

That’s why I say, first pray for guidance and Don’t Hesitate, it could be too late!

Press info: for more on my Equity acting background/photos etc see:
www.spotlight.com (view pin No. 2375-01632423) or GoldAgency.co.uk"