Andrew is a keen golfer, retired radio presenter, published author and host of a podcast on astronomy.
He's always been proactive in looking after his health, visiting the doctor every year to test his blood sugar, cholesterol, and PSA levels. And his results always came up fine.
But then, the COVID-19 pandemic hit.
Diagnosed with cancer in the middle of a pandemic
During the pandemic, Andrew delayed his annual check-up with his doctor. When he finally saw his doctor, about 20 months had already passed since his last visit.
Andrew's PSA levels came back higher than recommended. His doctor suspected that it could be an infection, so he put Andrew on a round of antibiotics. But when the next test showed that his PSA levels hadn't improved, Andrew underwent an MRI scan and a dye test, which identified that he had prostate cancer.
"I had no expectation that it would be cancer, so it was a huge shock when I sat down, and the urologist told me, 'You have cancer'. I was alone in the office with the urologist and had nowhere to turn," says Andrew.
After sharing the diagnosis with his wife and three sons, Andrew was given the option of wait and watch, radiation, or a prostatectomy. With surgery being his doctor's recommendation, that's what he chose.
Navigating life after surgery
Andrew underwent the prostatectomy in January 2023. The surgeon believed they had removed all the cancer and that there was no sign of a breach. But a few months later, pathology results revealed that it had escaped the seminal vesicle by about 2mm.
Andrew remembers, "I was in shock again. I felt as bad as the day of my diagnosis. All along, I thought it would be over and done with, and I could get on with my life. I was wrong."
For a while, Andrew struggled with this news. But he talked to a doctor about it and got referred to a psychologist who helped him learn mental techniques to cope.
"My message to others is to not be scared to ask for help, because you don't have to do this on your own", Andrew says.
"Something that helped me sleep was to count back from 1000 in multiples of 7, so 1000, 993, 986 and so on. It takes your mind away from everything else because you're just focused on the numbers".
Living with cancer and raising awareness to help others
Andrew has been doing regular tests to monitor his PSA levels, which have slowly risen, meaning cancer cells are still in his system.
Radiation was not recommended at first, to improve his chances of regaining proper bladder control and sexual functionality. Thankfully, these returned for Andrew within 12 months of the operation.
In the meantime, Andrew has retired, gone on holidays with his wife and continued producing his hobby podcast about astronomy.
"I just want to make sure that I do not let cancer control my life. You can still live a full life and do the things you love, whether that be playing golf or cooking or rebuilding your mustang."
In October 2024, Andrew's doctors put him on radiotherapy, hoping to eradicate the cancer cells completely in his prostate bed and pelvis.
Andrew's message to others is simple: get checked. "This thing sneaks up on you and there are no obvious symptoms in the early stages, but you can beat it if you just go to your doctor once a year. It's that simple," he shares.
The general recommendation is that men have PSA testing every two years once they reach 50. If, however, there's a family history of prostate cancer, a PSA test is advised every two years for men, from the age of 40.
