A father from Sutton says a routine GP appointment helped detect prostate cancer before he had any symptoms, and he now wants more men to know that the disease can be present without warning signs.
Peter Ellis, 58, said he felt perfectly well when he attended a standard health check in 2018. During that appointment, his GP suggested a PSA test, a blood test that measures prostate-specific antigen levels, and he agreed.
The result showed elevated levels and led to further investigations. One day before turning 50, Peter was diagnosed with stage two prostate cancer.
The Sutton telecommunications worker said the test changed the course of his life because he would not otherwise have known he had cancer. He said: “Prostate cancer changed my life but more importantly early detection saved it. I had no symptoms. If I hadn’t gone for that test, I probably wouldn’t be here today. I would not have asked for it if the doctor hadn’t suggested it.”
After the diagnosis, Peter underwent a prostatectomy to remove the prostate gland. He said the operation appeared to work for about 12 months, but his levels later began to rise again.
That led to radiotherapy. Three months later, his levels increased again, leading to another round of treatment alongside hormone therapy lasting two years. He is now free of cancer and says he is dealing only with mild side effects from treatment.
Awareness work across London
Peter began working as a spokesperson for Prostate Cancer UK and has since started giving independent talks at local libraries, paying the costs himself. He says he wants to raise awareness of the PSA test and the fact that prostate cancer may not cause symptoms in its early stages.
He is now fundraising to expand those talks to more venues, with the aim of visiting all 33 London boroughs within 12 months. His main fundraising effort was a wing walk on September 18, when he was strapped to a Second World War biplane flying hundreds of feet above the ground at 120 mph.
His GoFundMe page has raised £3,955 so far.
He said: “In the early stages of prostate cancer there are no symptoms so you have to be proactive about it. You have to get ahead of it before it gets ahead of you. You have to take care of your own destiny because no one else is going to do it for you.”
What the test led to
The PSA test is a blood test used to measure prostate-specific antigen levels. In Peter’s case, the elevated result led doctors to investigate further and eventually diagnose stage two prostate cancer.
His account underlines a point he now repeats in his talks: he did not feel unwell before the diagnosis. He has said that without the routine check, he would not have known anything was wrong.
Peter has continued speaking publicly after treatment and says he hopes his presentations encourage men to seek checks even when they feel healthy. His campaign is focused on early detection and on making more people aware that symptoms may be absent in the early stages.
- Peter Ellis is from Sutton in South London.
- He said his prostate cancer was found after a routine GP health check in 2018.
- The PSA blood test showed elevated levels and led to further investigations.
- He was diagnosed with stage two prostate cancer one day before turning 50.
- He is now fundraising to take awareness talks to all 33 London boroughs.
