Dermot Murnaghan dies age 68 following 'stealth' cancer diagnosis
TV presenter Dermot Murnaghan died 'peacefully' at home earlier this morning (11 July). His family, who were at his side, said this comes 'following a period of illness with prostate cancer'.
The news anchor legend announced his diagnosis with stage four prostate cancer in June last year.
Murnaghan said he had 'fell through the gaps' when it came to testing, having had no symptoms.
A statement shared today includes: "The family wish to thank the medical teams who cared for Dermot with such sensitivity and extraordinary compassion throughout his illness; also, for the many, many kind messages of goodwill that he received over the last year since his diagnosis of Stage IV prostate cancer and his subsequent campaigning to raise awareness for screening programmes for the disease."
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The former Sky News presenter began campaigning for the likes of Prostate Cancer UK, urging more men to get tested following his diagnosis.
"For years I thought 'that will do me'. I'm getting tested basically once a year or every couple of years," he said at an event last summer.
"It never occurred to me that they weren't testing for prostate-specific antigen (PSA) testing and I never went to my GP because I was getting other tests privately through the production company.
"So that's how I fell through the gaps and that's how I had a massive wake-up call and want to share the message."
Following a small family ceremony for his funeral, a memorial service for friends and colleagues of Murnaghan will take place at St Bride's Church, Fleet Street, later this year.
"The family request that anyone wishing to remember him considers supporting Prostate Cancer UK, Prostate Cancer Research and North London Hospice so that others may benefit from the research and care he received," the statement adds.
Symptoms of prostate cancer
Like Murnaghan, many men with prostate cancer have no symptoms which is why it's so important to get regular check ups, however, it can present as any of the following symptoms.
- Urinary symptoms: Difficulty urinating, a weak or interrupted flow of urine, needing to wee more urgently, feeling like you haven't completely emptied your bladder and blood in urine.
- Other symptoms: Blood in the semen, painful ejaculation, erectile dysfunction, pain in the hip, back or pelvic area.
Reputation for stealth
Prostate cancer is known as having a reputation for stealth, as it develops slowly and silently, with few or no symptoms.
When symptoms do occur, they can often be mistaken for other things as a lot of prostate cancer symptoms mimic benign conditions like benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) or urinary tract issues.
If you’ve been affected by any of these issues and want to speak to someone in confidence, contact Macmillan’s Cancer Support Line on 0808 808 00 00, 8am–8pm seven days a week.
More to follow.
Jess Battison