My unwelcome and unexpected adventure with prostate cancer, by Stephen Fry
He has previously been open about his struggles with mental illness, appearing before the camera to talk about his diagnosis with bipolar disorder.
Now Stephen Fry has made another emotional confession to his fans – he has secretly been battling prostate cancer.
The actor, 60, posted a heartfelt video online yesterday in which he told how he had been diagnosed with the disease – and revealed that last month he had surgery to remove his prostate.
He admitted it had taken him some time to come to terms with his diagnosis, having always felt that ‘cancer is something that happens to other people’.
Sharing the emotional video on social media, he wrote: ‘ For the last two months I’ve been in the throes of a rather unwelcome and unexpected adventure.
‘I’m sorry I haven’t felt able to talk about it till now but here I am explaining what has been going on.’
In the emotional 13-minute clip, posted on his website, he said: ‘Cancer in the end is a word that just rings in your head. Cancer, I’ve got cancer.
‘I went around saying to myself, “I’ve got cancer. Good heavens, Stephen, you’re not the sort of person who gets cancer.” I know it’s an old cliche but you don’t think it’s going to happen to you, cancer is something that happens to other people’. The cancer was discovered when Fry went to get a flu jab and his doctor suggested a general check-up during the same visit.
The doctor contacted Fry the next day to voice concern about his Prostate-Specific Antigen levels. PSA is a protein produced by prostate cells. It is normal to have a small amount of PSA in the blood and for this to rise as men get older, but a raised level may be a sign of cancer.
A normal PSA level is anything under four nanograms per millilitre of blood, and Fry said that as his levels were just under five nanograms he ‘wasn’t too concerned’.
However, his doctor suggested Fry have an MRI scan – and later called to say that ‘something rather mischievous’ had appeared. Fry was referred to a urology specialist and had a biopsy that revealed the cancer. The disease, which he described as an ‘ aggressive little b*****’, had started to spread to the nearby lymph nodes in his groin area – leading doctors to operate and remove his prostate and 11 lymph nodes. Last month Fry pulled out of presenting the Baftas, a role he has performed 12 times. At the time he said it was ‘only right to stand down and let others take the Baftas on to new heights and greater glories’. But yesterday he admitted he has been ‘keep- ing [his] head down as much as possible’ in order to recover. ‘It’s a bit of a business having an operation like that,’ he added. ‘It’s all pretty undignified and unfortunate.’
Prostate cancer is the most common male cancer, with 47,000 British men diagnosed and 11,800 killed by the disease each year, up from 9,500 in 1999.
Last month the Daily Mail launched a campaign to end needless prostate deaths through earlier diagnosis and better treatments.
Part of the problem is that many men are too embarrassed to visit their GP.
Fry said his doctors believe the cancer has been dealt with, but he will not know until he receives further test results. ‘As far as we know, it’s all been got,’ he said. ‘ But I won’t know for sure until my PSA levels are checked.
‘If there is anything left ... maybe that will spread and I’ll need radiotherapy and the whole damn thing will start again. But, for the moment, I’m fit and well and happy’.
Fry also paid tribute to his family and husband – fellow comedian elliott Spencer, 30 – saying: ‘ My family and my divine and darling husband ... were just marvellous and those few friends who have known.’ Last year Fry, who was diagnosed with bipolar disorder aged 37, released a video through mental health charity Heads Together in which he discussed the breakdown of his mental health.
In it he said: ‘It was very difficult but ... talking was really a very strong part of the healing’.
Last night Prostate Cancer UK thanked Fry for raising awareness of the disease, which is often ‘swept under the carpet’, adding: ‘We salute Stephen for his courage in speaking out about his personal experience and wish him all the very best.’
A spokesman for Fry said: ‘He is now abroad and will update with further news in his own time and own words.’