Symptoms of prostate cancer as Jeremy Clarkson has part of his removed after 'aggressive' diagnosis
Jeremy Clarkson revealed in the latest series of Clarkson's Farm that he's been diagnosed with cancer and had part of his prostate removed.
The TV presenter had promised that the final two episodes of the most recent series would be a tough watch, and many viewers would have expected that to mean the feared TB outbreak among his beloved cows.
Sadly, in episode seven during a conversation with Charlie Ireland and Kaleb Cooper about the July harvest, Clarkson said that was going to be a problem for him and when asked if he was going somewhere he told his farming friends: "Yeah. I've got cancer."
In a later conversation he said he'd had part of his prostate removed, saying: "The prostate, 10 percent of it’s dead. The 10 percent where the cancer is."
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Clarkson did not confirm on the show whether the cancer had originated in the prostate or spread there from elsewhere in the body.
He confirmed that he'd 'known since May' and said that while it was 'aggressive' they had caught it 'really early'.
Clarkson told his farming cohorts he was having an operation in a couple of weeks, reassuring Cooper and Ireland he'd be 'in and out in no time' and 'fine'.
In the following episode, while reflecting on the events of the series, Clarkson said 'we started the year and I had coronary heart disease and ended it with me with cancer'.
He said he had a blood test on the same day as filming the wrap-up, and he'd know how things went in a few weeks' time, reassuring his friends they should 'cheer up' as his treatment 'probably did work'.
Chiara De Biase, Fundraising and Health Strategy Director for Prostate Cancer UK, thanked Clarkson for 'raising vital awareness with the millions of men and families watching' by including his cancer diagnosis on Clarkson's Farm.
"Thankfully he found the disease at an early stage, but sadly this is still not the experience of many men across the UK," she said, warning that thousands of men every year were 'diagnosed too late for a cure'.
"The Government took an important step forward recently in doubling it's support for Prostate Cancer UK's TRANSFORM screening trial, allowing us to reach tens of thousands more Black men and generate the vital evidence to ensure those at highest risk are diagnosed earlier.
"In years to come the trial will find the safest and most effective way to screen all men for prostate cancer, but right now prostate cancer remains the most common cancer without a screening programme.
"Any men worried by Jeremy's story should take our 30 second online risk checker or have a chat with their GP about a quick and simple blood test to check for any signs."
The symptoms of prostate cancer
The NHS has warned that in the initial stages prostate cancer often does not have symptoms, since the cancerous growth develops on the outer part of the prostate and does not cause symptoms until it has grown somewhat.
Once the cancer has grown some way it can press on the tube that carries urine from the bladder to the penis, resulting in changes noticeable while going to the toilet.
Some of the early symptoms include:
- Finding it difficult to start peeing or straining to pee
- Having a weak flow of urine
- 'Stop start' peeing
- Needing to pee urgently or often, or both
- Feeling like you still need to pee when you've just finished
- Peeing during the night
- Erectile dysfunction
- Blood in the urine or semen
- Lower back pain and losing weight without trying to
These may also be the symptoms of an enlarged prostate, a common non-cancer condition, but they urge someone with symptoms to speak with their GP and discuss a blood test that can help identify problems with the prostate.
LADbible Group has contacted Jeremy Clarkson's representatives for comment.
Topics: Jeremy Clarkson, Clarkson's Farm, Health, Cancer
Joe Harker