After disclosing he was diagnosed with prostate cancer last month, sports broadcaster Steve Rider is urging other men to get checked.
This weekend, the 73-year-old former presenter of BBC’s Grandstand and Sportsnight will undergo surgery.
Steve Rider reported that his physicians informed him it was an “opportunity to undergo extensive surgery and cure the entire condition.”
He reported to BBC Breakfast that he was diagnosed approximately two months ago and considered himself “extremely fortunate.”
“I am a firm believer in early screening, early diagnosis, and prompt implementation of corrective measures,” he explained.
“I’m living proof of that and very grateful to be operated on on Saturday.”
Steve Rider stated he was tested after an acquaintance was diagnosed with cancer following a medical examination.
After disclosing his diagnosis in August, he also lauded fellow broadcaster Nick Owen for raising awareness.
Rider stated that after his first check-up, where his reading was “a little bit elevated,” his wife urged him to undergo additional tests.
Steve Rider learned of his diagnosis the day after participating in fellow presenter Jeff Stelling’s latest charity Football March – from Wembley Stadium to the home of Wycombe Wanderers – in memory of his former BBC colleague Bill Turnbull, who passed away last year from prostate cancer.
“I was expecting the results of my biopsy the following day, and I assumed I would be monitored for the next six months with regular checkups.
“They came in and said, ‘No, we need you to undergo surgery immediately; please clear your schedule for the next three weeks. It is entirely contained within the prostate, allowing us to perform extensive surgery and cure the entire condition.’
“‘If it becomes more sophisticated, the future for humans will be somewhat bleaker. But we’ve caught it in time, and the surgery is going to be a complete game-changer.'”
Steve Rider stated that he was able to complete documenting the British Touring Car Championship for ITV on Sunday and that he felt “fine” and had “no symptoms” before and after his diagnosis.
Steve Rider urged others to use the risk calculator on the Prostate Cancer UK website, and anyone with “any doubts” to “get tested” because “it could save your life.”
According to the charity, the disease affects one in eight males in the United Kingdom. More than 12,000 men die annually from the disease.
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