Radio DJ Dougie Weake urges men not to be afraid to get their prostate checked – it could just save their lives. It saved his

DOUGIE Weake knows it's good to talk. As a DJ, it is his living. And as a cancer patient, he hopes it might just save lives.

Last year Dougie began treatment for prostate cancer. Today, he has the all clear – and is now encouraging men to talk about their prostates and get them checked out if they have concerns.

Only men have a prostate gland, which is about the size of a walnut, sits beneath the bladder and surrounds the urethra (the tube that men pass urine through). Cancer of the prostate is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in men and about one in eight men will get the disease at some point in their lives. Sadly, more than 11,800 men die from prostate cancer in the UK each year.

Dougie, 68, from YO1 Radio, will be talking about his cancer journey at an awareness event about prostate cancer at David Lloyd Club, York, on Thursday October 11 from 7pm-8.30pm, along with medics.

Dougie's story began last year when he went to the doctor with some gastric troubles – and ended up being diagnosed with prostate cancer. A simple blood test revealed a raised level of PSA (prostate specific antigen) which can be an early warning of a prostate problem. His GP performed a rectal examination, to feel if the prostate was enlarged. In Dougie's case it wasn't. But as a precaution, Dougie had another blood test a few months later. This time the PSA level had doubled to 16.9. Something was wrong, so Dougie had a biopsy at York Hospital. Six weeks later, he returned for the results. It was not good news.

"They told me: 'I'm sorry you have prostate cancer,'" begins Dougie. "It was awful. To hear the Big C, everything just falls apart. I cried.

"They were very nice and when I got home the Macmillan nurse telephoned me, asked me if I had any questions and told me they were there to help."

Dougie was presented with a range of treatment options including radiotherapy, surgery to remove prostate, or an injection of tiny radioactive seeds into the prostate to kill the cancer. All came with different risks. "You have to evaluate it all in your own mind and decide what is best for you," said Dougie, who opted for radiotherapy treatment.

This meant visiting the Bexley Wing at St James's University Hospital, Leeds, five days a week for one month to be treated with a state-of-the-art machine which targeted radiation at his cancer.

The main side effect was cystitis. "It was like peeing through molten lava," recalls Dougie, but medication from the hospital helped treat that too. His breasts grew in size on account of hormone medication to reduce the size of his prostate. "I've got a size 32C now," he says with a laugh, but adds when he stops taking the tablets they should return to normal.

After his last radiotherapy treatment, Dougie got to ring a silver bell. "You get a round of applause from everyone and it's a great feeling," he says.

But the best news was still to come. Six weeks later another blood test revealed his PSA level was 0.29. "The consultant told me that means I'm clear of prostate cancer. They will need to do a check next February to see if that is stable."

Dougie says the good news took time to sink in: "It was a day or two later when I woke up and thought God, I've actually beaten cancer."

Following his initial diagnosis, he had reason to be fearful; the disease claimed the life of his dad Eric and his brother Joe has been successfully treated for the disease.

A family history of the disease is just one of the risk factors for men. Those aged over 50 and black men are more at risk too.

There is no national screening programme for prostate cancer, so men have to be proactive about spotting symptoms and getting them checked, says Dougie.

He wants to reassure men there is nothing alarming about having a prostate examination, where a doctor will insert a finger in the anus to check if the prostate is enlarged. "It doesn't hurt. Doctors have seen hundreds of bottoms in their life. Don't think about it. This little bugger is growing all the time."

He believes men should be offered screening, the way women are for cervical and breast cancer. That way, he believes, it would seem more normal, and men might talk about it more, and accept it.

"Men are insular and tend not to talk to people about what they are going through. I've talked about it on air – I have nothing to hide. If one person goes for a check that means I have helped one person."

York GP Robin Ghosh is hosting the awareness event at David Lloyd next month to encourage more men to talk about their prostates.

Dr Ghosh, of the York Medical Group, said: "This is the most common cancer in men, and men tend not to access their GP.

"We have a growing older population so we are going to see more and more cases. The sooner we detect the disease, the better chance of a cure rather than palliative care."

He added that many men were in the dark about the prostate; research by the charity, Prostate Cancer UK, found that some men didn't know where the prostate was and that only males had the gland.

He said: "There is a lack of knowledge among men. We know all about cervical and breast cancer screening for women because of the national screening programme and because of celebrity cases like Jade Goody."

Dr Ghosh praised TV presenter Bill Turnbull for speaking about his diagnosis of prostate cancer. Stephen Fry has also talked about his treatment for the disease.

He hopes the evening at David Lloyd will take that message a bit further. "There is still a long way to go – but events like Movember help get the message out and get men talking about their health."

Hear Dougie tell his story and find out more about the disease at the Prostate Cancer Awareness Talk, David Lloyd centre, Hull Road, York, Thursday October 11 from 7pm-8.30pm. All welcome, including partners, and complimentary tea, coffee and biscuits will served on arrival. Free parking available.

Fact file

Prostate Cancer UK says many men with prostate cancer have no symptoms at all. When symptoms do occur, they can be similar to non-cancerous prostate problems such as an enlarged prostate (also called benign prostatic hyperplasia or enlargement). If you have concerns, visit your GP.

Symptoms to look out for include:

• Needing to urinate more often, especially at night

• Difficulty starting to pass urine

• Straining or taking a long time to finish urinating

• A weak flow of urine

• A feeling that your bladder has not emptied properly

• Needing to rush to the toilet

• Dribbling urine

Anyone with concerns about prostate cancer may contact Prostate Cancer UK's Specialist Nurses in confidence on 0800 074 8383 or online via the Live Chat instant messaging service on the website: prostatecanceruk.org.