'It's a senseless waste of life to not get tested for prostate cancer'
Health experts think false assumptions that physical examinations are used to check for the disease are deterring men from visiting the doctor
A prostate cancer survivor from Kent is urging more men to get checked, telling Greatest Hits Radio it's a 'senseless waste of life if they don't'.
Dave Gibbons, from Shottenden in Canterbury, was diagnosed in 2024 after receiving a text from his doctor asking him to complete a questionnaire.
He said: "My gob was properly smacked when I found out I had prostate cancer, I had no idea, it was an emotional time to say the least,
"Of course, when you find out you've got cancer, you want to find out for sure, and you want it gone.
Following a series of tests, Dave was diagnosed with the disease, later having surgery to remove his prostate.
He is now trying to educate more people about what it's like to have cancer, he said: "I personally think there should be a national screening campaign where you should opt out of the test.
"As it's not until you're complaining to your partner about not being able to wee - who will tell you to go to the doctor, most men won't, they'll just leave it but a test can save your life, it means you can be treated."
Health experts think false assumptions that physical examinations are only used to check for the disease are deterring men from visiting the doctors.
Dave said: "I think doctors call it the fear of the finger, and I do think the digital examination puts many men off but what many people don't realise is you could go the whole process without having a finger test."