Cancer-hit ex-Sky News star Dermot Murnaghan reveals how he ‘fell through gaps' before stage 4 diagnosis
The 67-year-old told an event for Prostate Cancer UK he had been getting tested every year or so.
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He said: 'For years I thought, 'That'll do me'.
'It never occurred to me they weren't testing for PSA (prostate-specific antigen).
'I never went to my GP because I was getting tests privately.
'That's how I fell through the gaps and that's how I had a massive wake-up call.'
The ex-Sky News host revealed in June he had stage four prostate cance r, and was 'responding positively' to treatment.
He told the event: 'You can get to the stage I have with no symptoms.
'Get the (PSA) test.
'You can insist if you're in a high-risk group and under 50.
'If not, still get tested at 50.'
How to check your prostate cancer risk
Prostate cancer can be deadly, partly because it often has no noticeable symptoms in the early stages, making it difficult to detect until it has spread.
Symptoms usually only appear once the cancer has grown large enough to put pressure on the tube that carries urine from the bladder out of the penis (urethra).
The NHS says there are seven symptoms of the disease - many of which could be overlooked:
Needing to pee more frequently, often during the night
Needing to rush to the toilet
Difficulty in starting to pee (hesitancy)
Straining or taking a long time while peeing
Weak flow
Feeling that your bladder has not emptied fully
Blood in urine or blood in semen
It's important to note these symptoms don't always mean you have prostate cancer.
Many men's prostates get larger as they get older because of a non-cancerous condition called benign prostate enlargement.
But with prostate cancer being one of the most common cancers in the UK, if you experience these symptoms you should see your GP.
In recent months, several celebrities have publicly revealed their diagnoses of prostate cancer, including six-time Olympic champion Sir Chris Hoy.
When Sir Chris Hoy was diagnosed with stage four prostate cancer, he had no symptoms.
The sportsman revealed his terminal diagnosis in an interview with The Times last year.
He's now advocating for increased awareness and early detection of prostate cancer.
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