I'm taking on Prostate United 2026

Give Now 💙

Dave Rowe 5k a day' for October

Give Now 💙

Raised

£1,869

Distance

137 km

My story

I was diagnosed with Prostate Cancer in October 2023 at the age of 47.

Leading up to this diagnosis I didn't have any of the classic signs of Prostate Cancer.

IF YOU ARE MALE AROUND 40+ YEARS OLD GO AND GET YOURSELF A PSA BLOOD TEST, IT COULD SAVE YOUR LIFE LIKE IT DID MINE.

My story below is an example of why getting yourself a PSA test is so important.

My Dad was diagnosed and beat prostate cancer in his late 70's. My limited knowledge was that men under 70 don't have prostate cancer but it was common in men around that age and older.

Therefore I was too young, too fit and indestructible to have this disease, it can't happen to me.

At 47 years old I was still very active, regularly out running, walking the dog, playing 11-a-side football on the weekends and continuing to work with no issues.

After much nagging by my now wife Catherine, I eventually had a PSA blood test at my Doctors surgery as a result of my Dads history, alongside a urine infection that took a while to clear up with antibiotics. The result came back slightly high for my age, so I wrongly just left it at that.

There did not seem much to worry about. This was because I was told due to my Dads age at the time of his prostate cancer diagnosis it does not count as a family history. I had read on google that I was too young to have prostate issues. I was still feeling really fit regularly participating in sports and not being held back at all so I just carried on with life as normal.

A couple of months later after being in good health, I then had a period of a few weeks where I didn't feel well through a stomach bug that didn't seem to go away. Again under the orders of Catherine, I forced myself to book a Doctors appointment, as being ill for a prolonged period of time was very unlike me.

I was going to cancel the appointment the nearer it got, I felt much better, symptoms had cleared up and thought I was just going to waste the Doctors time. Plus the appointment time clashed with when the Foo Fighters live concert tickets were going to be released and didn't want to miss out!

However a weird sixth sense made me go to the Doctors appointment, having no idea how this appointment would probably save my life.

After a discussion with the Doctor around the high PSA test result and the issues I had experienced with the stomach bug I was examined by the Doctor during the appointment. Following the examination, the Doctor thought there 'may' be an area of concern so I was then referred to the Urology Department at the hospital to be seen by a specialist as a precaution. This was just to be on the 'safe side' as it was probably nothing but best get the experts to check it out. The Urologist examined me, again an area of concern was highlighted and I was referred for further scans 'just to be on the safe side' but it's probably nothing to worry about.

After a couple of months of more tests, scans, biopsies at the hospital and 24 hours after playing 90 minutes of football I attended my appointment with the Consultant for the results of all of these............'Mr Rowe you have Prostate Cancer..............with a Gleason score of 9'.

This information never sunk in at all during the appointment, it was total shock and I felt numb. Luckily Catherine was there as all I could think about was how I'd played 90 minutes football the day before with cancer.....and the weeks, months before that.

To say this was life changing information to digest is an understatement. I just thought I was going to this appointment to get some antibiotics to clear up some sort of infection. I felt so well between going to the that initial Doctors appointment and getting this news, being diagnosed with Cancer never crossed my mind.

I found out what a Gleason score of 9 meant.

A Gleason score of 9 is a high grade aggressive prostate cancer which means it grows rapidly. It carries an extreme high risk of spreading outside my prostate which required prompt treatment, to prevent it spreading quickly to other parts of my body.

This information given to me by the Consultant really scared me. You hear so many terrible, sad stories about other people's diagnosis, how quickly it can spread and kill. Those it'll never happen to me thoughts were actually happening to me.

When the reality of the situation dropped it was then all about the treatment options. How were they going to remove the cancer, the side effects (long and short term) of each treatment type, complications/risks of surgery/radiation and how my life will change going forward.

There was a period of mass self-reflection. Questioning myself on how serious is this diagnosis, has the cancer spread to other parts of my body already, the effect it will all have on my family, questioning will I ever get back to running, or play football again and can I live my 'normal' life again?

Being a typical man a lot of these thoughts were kept to myself, trying to carry on as normal around people but knowing there was a massive battle with my body ahead and even now it is easier to write about than talk.

Various options to tackle my cancer were discussed with the consultants following more tests and scans.

Receiving a letter for an appointment at the Nuclear Medicine Department for a scan was frightening, as I had no clue what went on in a department which started with the word Nuclear!!

In January 2024 (photo of me above on the day of surgery) I went under the knife for 5 and a half hours and had a prostatectomy (prostate removed). I also had the surrounding lymph nodes removed in order to remove the area of cancer and to prevent the cancer spreading outside the wall of the prostate to other parts of my body.

Throughout my days playing football I was used to injury and rehab however the recovery from this surgery was so different. It was gradual, it was kind of invisible, it was intrusive, it was embarrassing to talk about and always in the back of my mind was is the cancer going to come back.

Following regular PSA tests post operation, my PSA level started to rise meaning the cancer had spread outside the wall of the prostate and was not totally removed during the operation.

Again after months of more tests to locate the remaining cancer cells, more life changing decisions were to be made, around side effects (long/short) complications, recovery, success rate, quality of life etc.

In October 2024 a scan showed cancer cells on lymph nodes close to my bowel, in the area where the prostate was.

In November 2024 I started radiotherapy on the area of the cancer cells and in the following weeks I had 35 daily sessions of travelling to the hospital for radiotherapy (including over Christmas and new year), alongside 2 years of hormone injections (one every 3 months) to reduce my bodies testosterone levels, to prevent the PSA/cancer cells growing.

Since the radiotherapy and now nearly completing the hormone treatment my regular PSA tests have all come back as under 0.1(undetected) which is great news and long may it continue.

I will continue to take a cautious approach now my treatment is nearing the end, there has been too many highs and lows to get to far ahead of myself.

In the near 3 years since my diagnosis I have learned that nobody is indestructible, I thought I was.

A positive I take from this experience is that although I have had prostate cancer I have yet to see anyone near my age at any of my related appointments. But unfortunately I am not the only example that any male over the age of 40 is vulnerable from this disease.

If I had not gone to the Doctors that day and been examined there is no doubt the cancer would have spread to other parts of my body due to the aggressiveness of the cancer and by the time I would have got checked out it's likely that it would be too late.

I am lucky at the minute fate caught my cancer at the right time, others my age have not been so lucky.

I will continue to be regularly PSA tested and will not take my health for granted.

I am so very thankful of the support network I have to get me through this, especially Catherine as she pushed and nagged at me prior to diagnosis to get checked out, when let's face it, left to me I wouldn't have done.

Prostate Cancer is a silent killer.

I had no real symptoms that you see on posters or in leaflets.

I didn't feel unwell, I could go running, I could play football, physically I felt fine.

We know from high profile cases Prostate Cancer does not discriminate and from my experience it does not care how young or fit you are.

I have always found it difficult to discuss my health, to open up about sensitive, intrusive and embarrassing health issues. Men don't do that and this disease is all centred around areas that have those stigmas attached.

All is now slowly coming together for me but I carry the scars and some long term side effects from the treatment of cancer. My lifestyle is a little different but I am lucky to be still healthy.

As for running 5km a day for 31 days, well prior to my diagnosis I could have done it so why can't I now?

I'm older, much heavier, my knees are generally knackered and my body has been through the bloody mill for 3 years but it's all about raising awareness to get men tested as much as raising money.

If it had not been for the increased campaigning by Prostate UK to go and get a test I may not have even made the start line for this challenge.

It is now time for me to give something back.

In the past few years October has been a very prevalent month for me, so this October challenge is very poignant for me.

October 2023 was the initial prostate cancer diagnosis.

October 2024 the scan showed the cancer was back.

October 2025 I turned 50 and retired from my 30 year career, so in October 2026 I hope to celebrate being fit and healthy by running (with maybe a bit of walking) 155km!!

Many thanks for bearing with my story and taking the time to read it.

If it makes one person who has put off going to the Doctors to get tested then it's worked.

Cheers

Dave

Raised

£1,869

Target

£2,000

93.45% there

Distance travelled

137.23 km

Target

155 km

88.5334193548387% there