Rugby legend Sir Ian McGeechan says his prostate cancer is “all gone and under control” – and is urging the government to introduce a national screening programme.
In his first TV interview about his diagnosis and treatment, the only man to win British and Irish Lions tours as a player and coach spoke about the importance of more testing to find the cancer early.
“It’s a blow when it hits you that a consultant tells you you’ve got cancer,” Sir Ian told Sky News. “But when you look at what’s there now in place to treat it, everybody should have the opportunity to find out early. Sooner rather than later, and not be reliant on a possible whim of a decision.”
Prostate-specific antigen (PSA) blood tests are only routinely made available to over-50s, with their reliability questioned and concerns they can miss aggressive cancers.
Sir Ian said: “I finished the treatment at the end of April and then had a follow-up test at the end of May – and the PSA was down to 0.8, which effectively said it’s gone.
“So when you hear that after having heard somebody say to you you’ve got cancer is quite special.
“The prostate cancer’s all gone and under control, so delighted.”
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Now Sir Ian is using his status and platform to raise awareness, speaking to us while his rugby achievements were celebrated at Leeds Beckett University as an alumnus entering the new sport hall of fame.
Prostate Cancer UK says 63,000 men are diagnosed annually in Britain, with 12,000 dying.
“It needs that support from government,” Sir Ian said. “There has to be a screening programme because prostate cancer is recoverable.
“And it would be a great shame if people miss that opportunity to have a scan and not just be able to have it there rather than be asking can you, can’t you.”
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The UK National Screening Committee is assessing whether to launch a prostate cancer screening programme with calls for annual tests.
Sir Ian said: “If you’ve got cancer in the family then it just makes sense to be able to offer that screening and just educate people and make them aware of what some of the symptoms are. Because I didn’t feel ill, I felt fine.”
It was his wife who figured something might not be right when he was getting up twice in the night to use the toilet, rather than sleeping through for up to 10 hours.
“We had a fantastic GP who reacted straight away with the PSA test,” Sir Ian said. “Then biopsy, MRI scan and they found it relatively early and monitored it for a year.
“And then it changed grades in parts and so they introduced me to hormone therapy and radiotherapy. So that was fairly intense the early part of this year.”
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Now, he has a new lease of life – still working with Doncaster Knights.
It is an incredible legacy in the sport they are able to harness.
Sir Ian went on two Lions tours as a player – winning in 1974 in South Africa.
He coached on five tours, triumphing as head coach in Australia in 1989 and South Africa in 1997.
With Scotland there will always be the Five Nations Grand Slam won as head coach in 1990 – his country’s last major rugby title.
“I do feel privileged to have had those opportunities,” he said.
And so appreciative of the NHS for his cancer treatment.
“It’s just great to have seen something that works so well when it’s in place at the right time to make such a huge difference,” he said.
