Sir Rod: My secret battle with prostate cancer
SIR Rod Stewart has revealed he has beaten prostate cancer after a secret two-year battle with the disease.
The singer, 74, said the cancer was caught early by a doctor during a routine check-up – and last night urged men to get their prostates checked.
Sir Rod opened up about his battle during a charity concert with former Faces bandmates Kenney Jones and Ronnie Wood.
He said he had warned his wife Penny Lancaster he would use the event for the Prostate Project to ‘come out’.
He told how she replied: ‘Tonight would be a nice night to come out of the closet.’
Sir Rod then told the audience at the Wentworth Club in Surrey: ‘No, it’s not what you think. Two years ago I was diagnosed with prostate cancer.
‘No one knows this, but I thought this was about time I told everybody. I’m in the clear now, simply because I caught it early. I have so many tests.’ He encouraged men to get regular checks, adding: ‘Guys, you’ve got to really go to the doctor.’
Sir Rod said he stayed positive during his treatment. He added: ‘If you’re positive, and you work through it and you keep a smile on your face... I’ve worked for two years and I’ve just been happy, and the good lord looked after me.’
The singer then shared a hug with former bandmate Wood, 72, who has battled lung cancer. Wood said: ‘Somebody up there likes us, Rod.’
It was reported in October last year that Sir Rod suffered a prostate cancer scare after doctors discovered a lump on his prostate gland. However, he said at the time that tests showed there was no cancer and he did not require surgery.
The scare came 18 years after Sir Rod had an operation for thyroid cancer.
Prostate is the biggest cancer killer in men, with 47, 00 diagnosed every year and more than 11, 00 deaths.
It is one of the least likely of cancers to present symptoms and one in eight men will get it during their lifetime.