Feargal Sharkey diagnosed with prostate cancer after GP visit for sore throat

Feargal Sharkey has revealed that he was diagnosed with prostate cancer following a visit to his doctor for a sore throat.

The former Undertones singer, 66, is doing “very well” and pledged to “carry on this fight” for clean waterways after the health issue was “resolved” a year ago.

Feargal spoke of his diagnosis publicly for the first time in a bid to encourage other men to get tested for cancer.

Speaking to the Daily Express newspaper on the banks of the River Lea in Hertfordshire, the keen angler said: “About a year and a half ago, I randomly went to see my GP with a sore throat.

“Now I’ve known him long enough but he goes, ‘No no, you’re that bloke that used to sing. So if you’re telling me you’ve got a sore throat, there’s something going on’.

“So my doctor, being the beautiful, wonderful, awkward, cantankerous old man that is went, ‘Oh Feargal, by the way, you’re 65 now, I’m going to run the full battery of tests’.

“Two days later, it turns out, I began a journey which led to the [diagnosis] of prostate cancer. Thankfully, that’s all now been resolved a year ago.

“But here we are, had it not been for that random visit to my local GP, I would never have known that I was at that point carrying prostate cancer, and if it had not been seen to, it could have been a very different ending and a very different outcome to my life.

“The reason I’m very happy to talk about it is because if there’s one man out there over the age of 45 go and see your GP. Go and get the blood test done.”

Making a direct appeal to the public, the Teenage Kicks singer added: “Now, for one in eight of you, you will be put in the same journey I’ve had and it’s quite astonishing to think that in this country right now, one in eight men have prostate cancer.

“Most of them don’t even know it. So go and have the blood test and if you’re lucky, you’ll walk away.

“If you’re lucky, like me hopefully, you’ll have caught it early on and you can deal with it and get on top of it.

“But, and I have such unbelievable admiration for Chris Hoy over the last couple of months, if you end up where Chris is, well you’re now looking for a very different outcome and not the one you were expecting for your life, my friend.

“So, for a blood test – go get it done right now.”

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