A father and son believe they have been “brought closer together” after they received the same devastating diagnosis just a month apart. Bob and Andrew Ridley both discovered they had incurable prostate cancer last summer.
Bob had always been vigilant about prostate cancer, since his own father had also been struck with the disease and had undergone surgery to remove his prostate years prior.
This meant Bob regularly had his prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels checked.
But last year doctors noted a significant rise in his PSA, prompting further testing and a diagnosis of stage three prostate cancer at the age of 75.
Medics gave Bob 10 years to live, depending on how he responds to treatment that can slow the cancer.
Just weeks later Bob’s son Andrew started experiencing a pain in his side.
Initially it was thought the 51-year-old from Redcar in North Yorkshire had kidney stones.
But a CT scan revealed an enlarged abdomen and lymph nodes in his hip.
Just one month after his dad, Andrew, now 52, was diagnosed with stage four aggressive prostate cancer.
It was later discovered that the cancer had spread to his spine and bone marrow, reducing his chances of surviving past five years to just 30 percent.
Despite these odds, Andrew is determined to stay positive. “I am only 52 years old, so I have that on my side,” he said.
“I am fit enough at the moment to put up a fight and deal with the treatment.”
The dad-of-four has been undergoing hormone treatment as well as chemotherapy in the hopes of preventing the growth of the cancer.
The double diagnosis has been especially hard for Bob and Andrew’s family.
“As a family we were kind of coming to terms and trying to support Dad and to throw this one into the mix on top of it has put a massive load on the entire family,” Andrew said.
“It was an awful lot to handle in a very short period of time not just for me but for my mum and dad.
“My mum’s been running around after my dad when he’s radiotherapy and my chemo but I would certainly say it’s probably brought us closer together, it’s certainly a shared voyage.”
Now the pair are hoping to raise awareness of the condition and urge other men to get their PSA levels tested and seek help when they experience symptoms.
Andrew added: “Long story short, avoid the above and catch it early. Don’t assume that this is an old man’s cancer.
“Basically guys check your family history, get a PSA blood test straight away, then regularly every 12 months or so.”
They are also backing Prostate Cancer UK’s nationwide Find It Earlier campaign.
You can take Prostate Cancer UK’s 30 second online risk checker now at prostatecanceruk.org/risk-checker.
According to the NHS, symptoms of prostate cancer do not usually appear until the prostate is large enough to affect the tube that carries urine from the bladder out of the penis (urethra).
When this happens, you may notice things like:
- An increased need to pee
- Straining while you pee
- A feeling that your bladder has not fully emptied.
If you are experiencing symptoms or have concerns you should speak to your GP.