Tom Watson has revealed he’s been battling a shock prostate cancer diagnosis and had to deal with an overwhelming “fear of imminent death”. The 57-year-old father-of-two former Labour deputy leader made the revelation in a newsletter yesterday about how he was given the earth-shattering news last June.
Lord Watson, who now sits as a Labour peer in the House of Lords, has now urged more men in their 50s to get checked for the disease which is the most common for men in the UK.
In the newsletter he wrote: “‘That word ‘cancer’ it truly did me in, I grappled with fears of dying, sexual dysfunction, and even the prospect of wearing nappies before turning 60. My life took a turn; I grew closer to my children and rewrote my will.”
The former Labour ‘big beast’ said he had to wait for a month to discover the severity of his cancer diagnosis, adding: “Knowing I had prostate cancer but not its aggressiveness was a month-long ordeal. Despite knowing the low risk, the fear of imminent death was overwhelming.”
Speaking to the Mirror, the peer said in the end the disease was thankfully found to be “non-aggressive”.
He told the paper: “The non-aggressive cancer was only discovered because my brilliant GP insisted I take an annual PSA (Prostate-specific Antigen) test. Every man over 50 is entitled to one and I urge them to do so.”
Prostate cancer is the UK’s most common in men, with more than 52,000 cases a year, but survival rates are over 97 percent. According to Cancer Research UK the form of the disease accounts for 27 percent of all new cancer cases in males in the UK
Lord Watson said his personal battle had made him think about how low-risk cancers are named by health professionals when dealing with patient anxiety.
He wrote: “It’s about communication, helping the public understand that not all cancers are the same and that a diagnosis, while serious, doesn’t always spell immediate danger.
“By categorising some as benign and educating on the differences between low-risk and no-risk, we can reassure people that not all cancers pose the same threat.
“In the end, it’s about living life with wonder and curiosity. Holding loved ones close, engaging in simple health practices, and maintaining communication, not just about medical facts but experiences, fears, and hopes.
“In this shared understanding and support, we find we’re not alone in our battles.”
