Four Brothers with Prostate Cancer Advocate for Regular Testing

Within a six-month period, four brothers received prostate cancer diagnoses and are now encouraging other men to undergo routine screenings for the condition. Steve Hastings, aged 70, stated that his three younger brothers, Jim, Andy, and Tim, pursued a prostate specific antigen (PSA) test last year after he had requested one himself. Mr. Hastings, along with his brothers, all residents of Lancashire, expressed confidence in positive outcomes for their health “because we have been caught early” and have undergone treatment. The call from Mr. Hastings aligns with the Prostate Cancer Research (PCR) charity’s demand for an immediate revision of prostate cancer screening protocols. Although prostate specific antigen (PSA) tests are not routinely provided by the NHS, men aged 50 and above are able to request one from their GP, even in the absence of symptoms, as was the case for the Hastings brothers. The NHS announced earlier this month that it would re-evaluate its strategy following Olympic cycling champion Sir Chris Hoy’s “powerful” appeal for prostate cancer testing among younger men. Tim Hastings, the youngest brother, received his diagnosis first in November 2023. The 64-year-old, who completed radiotherapy half a year ago, reported that everything was “going fine” and indicated he would continue hormone treatment for an additional year. Andy Hastings, who is a year older, was diagnosed in February and chose to undergo a prostatectomy. Should his final blood test results be favorable, he will subsequently require checks only once every 12 months. Jim Hastings, 67, discovered he had prostate cancer in May and concluded his radiotherapy treatment last week. Steve Hastings is scheduled to commence comparable treatment next week, with completion anticipated on Christmas Eve. Steve Hastings commented that the entire experience had “brought us four closer.” He further stated: “We’re all fortunate I think that the outcomes are going to be great because we have been caught early.” He urged: “Get off your backside and go and get tested because you are not doing yourself or your family any favours.” He concluded with: “Do it – don’t be a cancer dancer.” Oliver Kemp, a spokesman for PCR, remarked: “Prostate cancer is taking too many lives, and our current system of ‘informed choice’ is failing those at greatest risk, especially men with a family history of the disease.” He added that “Our new report shows that a targeted screening programme for this high-risk group could lead to 650 earlier diagnoses annually for those aged 45-69, saving lives and reducing the burden of late-stage treatments on our healthcare system.” Information on BBC Radio Lancashire is available on Sounds, with updates from BBC Lancashire accessible on Facebook, X, and Instagram. Story ideas can be submitted to northwest.newsonline@bbc.co.uk and via Whatsapp at 0808 100 2230. Copyright for this content is held by BBC, 2024, with all rights reserved. The BBC disclaims responsibility for material found on external websites and provides information regarding its policy on external linking.