Ex All Whites captain continues cancer battle
FOOTBALL: New Zealand football great Steve Sumner’s cancer has spread and he faces chemotherapy next week, but he is still urging men to be constantly vigilant of the prostate cancer risk.
Sumner, who captained the All Whites at the 1982 World Cup finals, received a standing ovation when he spoke of his positive approach to his own health battles at the Prostate Cancer Foundation of New Zealand conference in Christchurch last weekend.
The 61-year-old was diagnosed with advanced prostate cancer last September and given a 30 per cent chance of survival.
But Sumner set about his treatment regime with the determination of a man who played a record 105 matches for the All Whites.
He adopted a healthy diet from the outset and had 39 radiation treatments earlier this year.
By Christmas, his PSA reading was 0.2 - down from 6.7 when initially tested in July 2015 and 9.7 in September after two more digital rectal examinations (DRE).
After Christmas, his PSA had dropped to 0.1 - considered ‘‘undetectable’’ - and a doctor told him he had good chance of beating cancer.
Things were looking up for the Christchurch resident, who was made an Officer of New Zealand Order of Merit in June.
But Sumner said, in the last few weeks, his cancer had spread to his spine, ribs, sternum and lymph modes and he had more than 20 tumours in his liver.
He said he was ‘‘going to keep fighting as the alternative ain’t flash’’ and he had promised his family he would fight. He meets a specialist on Monday to discuss a chemotherapy programme.
‘‘I want people to know that I’m in good spirits, and I’ve got great support all around me. But I really want to get the message out there to other blokes to keep getting tested.’’