Men shouldn’t have to die of embarrassment

Chris was waking several times in the night needing the toilet, a common complaint among older men

TWO YEARS ago getting a full night’s sleep was something of a challenge for musician Chris Difford.

 

The 60-year-old singer and songwriter with the band Squeeze had started waking several times needing to go to the toilet and the problem was beginning to affect his quality of life.

"I was getting up in the early hours to go quite a few times,” says Chris, who is best known for his 1970s hits Pulling Mussels (From The Shell), Cool For Cats and Up The Junction.

“But when I got to the toilet, often not much was happening so it became a bit of a distressing situation.”

Chris, who lives near Lewes, East Sussex, was experiencing a very common complaint among men as they get older.

Often it is nothing to worry about but it can be an early indicator of prostate cancer, the most common cancer to affect men in the UK. Every year 42,000 males are diagnosed and about 10,500 die.

 

It is treatable provided it is picked up early and has not spread to other parts of the body. When Chris realised something was wrong he sensibly went to see his GP.

He had an examination and tests including a prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test, which measures the amount of PSA in the blood. A raised level can be an early sign of cancer but it can also give a “false positive” result due to urinary infection, the patient ejaculating within two days of the test, or exercise such as cycling.

GPs will often feel the back of the prostate through the rectum. If the prostate feels hard, enlarged or the surface is rough this can be another indicator for further tests.

A biopsy and MRI scan can be carried out. “The reading for my blood test was a bit high so I had a second opinion in London including another PSA test,” says Chris.

 



Musician Matt Irving, who played with Squeeze, died from the disease in April



“For a while it did seem touch-and-go as to what might happen. Of course it does cross your mind that things might be serious.”

Chris was diagnosed with the common condition benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) in the end. An estimated 40 per cent of men aged over 50 in Britain have an enlarged prostate while 75 per cent of over-70s have it.

BPH occurs when the prostate gland, which is the size of a walnut and sits below the bladder and around the urethra, becomes enlarged. It can cause problems with urinating because the prostate becomes squashed against the bladder, meaning it can’t empty completely.

It’s not fully understood why the prostate, which produces the fluid which mixes with sperm to produce semen, gets bigger but it’s believed that as men age the lack of hormones allows it to increase.

 



Figures show that men are twice as likely to fear going to the GP as women



Although it is a nuisance, BPH is usually harmless and can be treated with drugs which relax the bladder, or with medication to shrink the gland. However side-effects can include dizziness, headaches and sexual dysfunction, prompting many men to stop using them.

One alternative is surgery, to either cut or heat the prostate tissue to open the blocked urethra. The most common operation is an endoscopic surgical procedure known as transurethral resection of the prostate.

Chris was relieved to be given a clean bill of health but adds: “I’m sure I’ll have further tests to keep an eye on things. I was given medication to relax the muscles in my waterworks which made going to the toilet easier.

It all seems to have calmed down and is fine now. I’m glad I had the test to give me peace of mind as it was becoming a worry.”

I don’t think men are generally good at looking after themselves

Chris Difford

Figures show that men are twice as likely to fear going to the GP as women and Chris wants to change this attitude.

“I don’t think men are generally good at looking after themselves,” he explains.

“The PSA test isn’t worth getting too stressed about. It is something I’m glad I had and for a lot of men it’s worth having it to check everything is as it should be.”

Although there is currently no PSA screening programme, any man over 50 is entitled to ask for one. Those considered to be at higher risk, including men with a family history of prostate cancer, should ask for a test before they reach 50, experts suggest.

This also applies to men from Afro/Caribbean backgrounds who run a higher risk of developing the condition.

Sadly Chris became even more aware of how prevalent prostate cancer is when a close friend died of the disease earlier this year. Musician Matt Irving, who had played with Squeeze as well as Manfred Mann’s Earth Band, Chris Rea and Paul Young, was diagnosed with the disease.

Before his death in April this year Matt had set about recording an album for the Prostate Cancer UK charity. The album, A Gift From Men United, aims to raise awareness and funds for the charity.

As well as a song from Chris it features tracks from Nik Kershaw, Andy Fairweather Low, Paul Carrack and Hamish Stuart of Average White Band, who grew up with Matt in Glasgow.

“When Matt was diagnosed it was a shock to the system,” says Chris.

“It wakes you up that someone close to you has a horrible illness.”

Now touring with Squeeze, Chris admits his own health is often on the back-burner.

 

“I’m not that fit if I’m honest. I couldn’t run a mile but then again I don’t have to so I’m still OK to do what I do.

"My wife Louise is brilliant at looking after me. She makes sure my diet is as good as it can be. But when she isn’t looking I might have a bit more of the bad stuff she steers me away from.

“We live by the South Downs and I’d love to get out more for walks and fresh air. But everything is so busy with recording and touring, it’s hard to make time for it.”

Chris and fellow Squeeze co-founder Glenn Tilbrook had their fi rst top 10 hit with Cool For Cats in 1979 before enjoying many more chart successes. Although they have sometimes gone their separate ways to pursue other projects, they are back together and Chris has no plans to stop playing live.

“We always get a great reaction to our old stuff and new material. Our fans have been loyal over the years and it’s still satisfying doing a gig with everyone going home happy.”

Chris Difford contributed the track Like I Did to the album A Gift From Men United in aid of Prostate Cancer UK, which is available for download now.