PROSTATE cancer is one of the biggest killers of men in the UK, with a man dying from the disease every 45 minutes.
Brookside star Dean Sullivan passed away today after being diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2018.
RexThe Brookside actor called on people to trust their gut[/caption]
What prostate cancer looks like
The Jimmy Corkhill actor’s agent announced this morning that the 68-year-old actor had died peacefully following a short illness.
Despite being the third deadliest form of cancer, it can be beaten if it’s caught early.
A 2021 YouGov poll found a worrying 68 per cent of men didn’t know what signs and symptoms to look out for when it came to prostate cancer.
More than 52,000 men are diagnosed with prostate cancer every year across the UK – that’s 143 every day.
More than 10,000 Brits die from the disease every year, and one in eight are diagnosed in their lifetime; it’s vital guys know the facts.
Unfortunately, in most cases, prostate cancer doesn’t have symptoms until the growth is big enough to put pressure on the urethra — that tube you pee through.
The 6 symptoms include:
Needing to urinate more often, especially at night
Needing to rush to the toilet
Difficulty in starting to pee
Weak flow
Straining and taking a long time while peeing
Feeling that your bladder hasn’t emptied fully
It mainly affects men over 50, and your risk increases with age.
If you suspect you might have prostate cancer, speak to your GP.
The soap opera icon revealed he did not struggle with many of the symptoms usually associated with prostate cancer.
But, he did notice a reduced flow and decided to get checked after listening to his gut instinct.
The first medical professional he saw told him to monitor it, but a second doctor gave him a 30-second examination, which revealed his prostate was enlarged.
Further tests uncovered the cancer.
Dean urged people to push for the same level of investigation if they feel something is wrong.
“Sometimes people think they’re bothering the doctor unnecessarily but we shouldn’t be embarrassed to go back,” he told Prostate Cancer UK.
“If I’d have listened to the first doctor, it might have been a different story so always trust your gut, 11 times out of 10, you’re right; we’ve still got that fight or flight instinct,” he added.
Dean was confident his early diagnosis helped lead to successful treatment and warned others to get checked as soon as they notice any changes.
Treatment usually involves active surveillance, surgery or radiotherapy.
More than 95 per cent of people survive a year following diagnosis, and 85 per cent survive their cancer for five years or more.
The outlook depends on when it was caught. The earlier, the better.
News Group Newspapers LtdThe Brookside actor called on people to trust their gut[/caption]
Dean was the longest-serving cast member on the hit Channel 4 showPA:Press Association