A MAN who was diagnosed with prostate cancer at a special screening day is urging men to get checked out to catch the disease early.

Men’s health charity Chaps is set to return to Clacton for its fourth annual prostate cancer screening day.

Last year’s event discovered that 13 out of 98 men tested were found to have abnormal levels of prostate-specific antigen (PSA).

Colin Unwin, 63, was screened at last year’s event and found to have high levels of PSA. He was later diagnosed with prostate cancer.

He said: “I had no symptoms and hence cannot praise enough the Chaps event.

“I feel fortunate it was caught at an early stage.

Colin said he now feels “absolutely 100 per cent” after successful curative surgery.

Prof Chris Booth, Chaps clinical director, said: “We are delighted to be returning to Clacton for our fourth annual event and are greatly indebted to the Rotary Club for their generous sponsorship and to the Clacton Masons for free use of their Temple.

“This sponsorship allows us to provide free PSA blood tests to detect prostate cancer at an early, curable stage.

“Prostate cancer is the commonest major cancer in UK men and second commonest cause of cancer deaths with over 47,000 registrations and over 11,000 deaths each year.

“This is one of the highest death rates in the world and these statistics are similar to those for breast cancer yet we have no national screening programme.”

Prof Booth said nearly all current major national and international urological guidelines recommend PSA-based screening programmes but NHS provision remains “patchy” with only ten per cent of men actively seek screening.

He added: “Our objective is to fill this gap by raising awareness and providing PSA testing for appropriately counselled men.

“We recommend screening should start in a man’s forties, especially for men with a family history of prostate cancer or breast cancer on his mother’s side and especially for black African or Caribbean men who have a one in four lifetime risk of prostate cancer.

“Being in a screening programme can halve the risk of dying from prostate cancer.”

The screening event will take place at the Colvin Memorial Temple, in Holland Road, on October 27 from 9.30am to 4pm.

To book an appointment online go to chaps2.simplybook.me or call 07734 747854. Walk-in appointments will take place between 1.30pm and 3pm.