Prostate cancer patient issues warning about ‘silent killer’

A rugby referee has been diagnosed with stage four cancer after collapsing during a match.

Andrew Gibson, from Chipping Sodbury, near Bristol, said the prostate cancer diagnosis in April 2020 came out of the blue.

He was initially told he only had two years to live, but he believes his treatment has helped him survive longer.

He urged others to see a doctor “the moment they notice something different.”

“I had no clue – I was still refereeing; you know, really fast rugby at Bristol Academy on that final Sunday.

“But since that day, I haven’t been able to do anything,” said Mr Gibson, who has a military background.

“It was masked by the fact that I was still active, still running at 54, like a 24-year-old, like a gazelle. So why would I worry?

“But I was one of the 10,000 undetected men every year who get prostate cancer.”

Recalling the day he collapsed, Gibson said: “I was clearly sick. I went to the GP and couldn’t get in. It was the beginning of the blockade.

“Everyone was scared to death. I arrived at the emergency department in Southmead and saw a consultant I knew.

“I had a very quick primary diagnosis and could tell just by the body language of the ultrasound that something was wrong.

“I know because when you see the size of a prostate it should be the size of a walnut and mine was the size of a cantaloupe.”

Mr Gibson said there were early warning symptoms which he “didn’t take seriously”.

These included recurring hip and back pain and being diagnosed with a urinary tract infection (UTI) multiple times.

Speaking about his diagnosis, he said: “PSA (prostate-specific antigen) levels – which is a general screening program with a blood test – in a normal, average adult man would be around five. Mine was 996.

“So clearly, something was wrong. The next day I started bleeding from the bottom and ended up in the ER.

“And that’s where everything changed.”

‘Know Your Roots’, a prostate cancer awareness campaign by private healthcare provider Genesis Care, aims to ensure people receive an early diagnosis.

Mr Gibson, who is closely associated with the campaign now, began his relationship with the campaign when he was first diagnosed.

He said: “I was very lucky to access Genesis Care in Filton in Bristol.

“And they were my lifeline from the first day I came in, and they are every day now, actually.

“I went through chemotherapy, targeted radiation therapy. I take so many medications, but it’s proof that I’m here today. I was given two years to live and here we are.”

Mr Gibson says he has been told he has a 30 per cent chance of surviving past the five-year mark, but is determined to defy those figures.

He said: “They are just statistics.

“I’m trying to beat those numbers just by living and just being able to get out there and do the things that I still love – which is like driving my tractor, hanging from cliffs with ropes and working with fellow police officers , fire brigade and ambulance.

“I just love what I do, so I think that helps.”

He also urged all men over 45, especially black and Caucasian men, to have a “better relationship” with their GP.

Mr Gibson also admitted that the illness has allowed his family to come together to make more memories, despite it constantly lingering over them.

“What I tell people is once you get up in the morning — get up, stand up, stand up, take that first step — and if you do that, no matter what your situation is, you’re more than halfway there.”