Tony Collier, an accountant from Altrincham, embarked on a grueling 56-mile ultra-marathon in 2016 at the age of 59, completing it in nine hours and 46 minutes. Despite swearing off such an endeavor, the allure of a 'special medal' for completing the same race two years in a row motivated him to prepare for it again in 2018. At 60, he considered himself 'the fittest non-professional athlete you could see,' training regularly in the British spring for the June race.

However, on Monday, May 8, Tony experienced an alarming symptom he initially dismissed as a groin strain. He booked an MRI scan with a sports injury doctor. By Tuesday evening, his life took a devastating turn. He received a call from his doctor, who was '99pc sure it was cancer.' Alone in his car, Tony drove home 'in floods of tears,' facing the 'horrible conversation' of breaking the news to his wife.

Just 10 days later, a urologist delivered the grim diagnosis: terminal prostate cancer, with a prognosis of 'two years to live.' The supposed groin strain was, in fact, a stress fracture of the spine, a direct consequence of his prostate cancer that had begun developing when Tony was 50. Despite his exceptional fitness, the diagnosis was a profound shock, as the cancer had silently progressed and spread over a decade, rendering it incurable.

Tony firmly believes this outcome could have been avoided. He explained that if he had been aware of his right to a prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test from age 50, the cancer 'would’ve caught it earlier when it was curable.' The PSA test, an affordable £28 tool available on the NHS, measures a protein produced by the prostate gland, which can indicate the presence of cancer.

Now 68, Tony has dedicated himself to advocating for men's rights to the PSA test and campaigning tirelessly for mass prostate screening across the UK. His efforts come in the wake of a disappointing decision by the UK National Screening Committee, which last week opted not to recommend mass screening. Tony argues that this decision is based on outdated information. He acknowledges that 'historically, if a man went to the GP for a PSA test and it had a high reading, he would’ve a trans-rectal biopsy that could lead to sepsis and death, [or] a man with an indolent cancer could then be overtreated.'

However, Tony stresses that medical practices have evolved significantly over the past 25 years. He points out that 'Now, if you have a PSA reading high enough, you go straight through MRI and there are some more targeted biopsies. In the old days screening did more harm than good, we think that’s been turned on its head now.' He found last week’s decision ‘devastating,’ especially considering that screening was approved only for men with BRCA one or two genes, a mere 30,000 individuals nationwide.

Undeterred, Tony continues his fight for broader screening and PSA test awareness. His advocacy recently earned him a standing ovation at Manchester Town Hall, where councillors agreed to initiate a new PSA test awareness campaign in the city. Councillor Olusegun Ogunbambo praised the move, stating it 'will save lives' and emphasizing the goal for 'faster treatment for everyone. We want better outcomes for everyone in Manchester. That means living longer.'

Remarkably, Tony is living longer than his initial prognosis, now enjoying time with his grandchildren, traveling abroad, and continuing to run ultra-marathons to fundraise, having completed his second one in 2022. His journey is a testament to resilience and a passionate call to action for improved men's health screening.