PROSTrATE CANCER

Prostate cancer really is the little understood male killer.

1 in 8 UK males will be diagnosed with prostate cancer, more than 130 new cases are discovered each day and, on average, one man dies from the disease every 45 minutes. Despite these statistics, and the fact that there are getting on for half a million men living with, or in remission from, prostate cancer in the UK, the condition is rarely discussed publicly and most men ignore the warning signs.

Graham Sharpe wants to help change that.

Faced with a sudden and unexpected diagnosis, Graham managed - just - to overcame a desire to punch the medic charged with the task of telling him he had prostate cancer but who was keener to answer his mobile phone, and set about trying to catalogue what he went through en route to acquiring the condition and how he dealt with the grinding process of his treatment, despite having no idea of the ultimate outcome.

Along the way he met and befriended many others undergoing the physical and mental stresses of treatment, emotional turmoil comparable with watching their favourite football team lose every game they play.

In this intimate memoir charting his own personal experience of coming to terms with prostate cancer, Graham brings humour and a light touch to a serious subject. Combating the shortage of reading material written by anyone with direct personal experience of the disease, this book seeks to educate the ignorant, raise awareness of the risks and dispel myths - including the widely held belief that the name of the disease is in fact prostrate cancer.

Here's one man's personal truth about getting, having and possibly surviving prostate cancer...

'This disease can be deadly. Please encourage the men in your lives to be aware of their prostate, before it's too late...' - Lauren Clark, wife of former England Cricket Captain Bob Willis who died of prostate cancer

'It's no secret, I'm no good with words but I do know about being diagnosed with cancer and my advice is read this book. Congrats Graham, informative, interesting and most importantly good advice - don't ignore the signs!' - Bob Champion CBE (Bob Champion Cancer Trust)

Auteur

Graham Sharpe is 70 years old, without any discernible medical qualifications, other than personal exposure to acne, cartilage & gallbladder removal, oh - and prostate cancer. A journalist by trade, he made a name - of sorts - for himself by spending almost half a century publicising bookmakers William Hill, winning awards along the way, and creating one himself - the world's most prestigious and richest sports-based literary prize, the William Hill Sports Book of the Year. For 60+ years a Luton Town and Wealdstone FC fan, 58 of those as a vinyl record collector, in which guise he wrote the well received Oldcastle title, Vinyl Countdown, Graham has been for 46 years married to long-suffering Sheila, been for 40 years a Dad of two, and for 5 years a grandfather. He hopes this is far from his last book...