Tech entrepreneur Andy Nicol has provided an update after undergoing surgery for prostate cancer.
Nicol is the founder and managing director of Manchester-based web and digital transformation agency Sputnik Digital and underwent a four-hour operation on Friday.
The 50-year-old attracted an overwhelming response after revealing he’d been diagnosed with prostate cancer despite experiencing no symptoms.
He opted for a prostatectomy, which is the surgical procedure to remove the prostate gland, after his own father died of prostate cancer in 2008 at the age of 62.
Speaking on Sunday, Nicol said: “The surgeon said things went well and I’m encouraged to be up and about as soon as possible.
“The main risk at the moment is a hernia. I need to take it slowly, but should be back to running in a month or so, and back to normal in 10 weeks.
“The whole prostate is now removed, and because they caught it early they spared the nerves on both sides, which is good.
“They took some more biopsies so will know more in a month or so when the results are back.
“I had a much-needed good night’s sleep (on Saturday) and I’m giving my body time to do what it needs to do.”
Nicol revealed last week how his diagnosis had ‘come out of nowhere’ as he had no symptoms and regularly competed in marathons and Ironman competitions across Europe.
“I didn’t feel ill,” he explained. “I run 50km a week, eat healthily, and I’m generally in good shape. But I decided to get a health MOT shortly after my 50th birthday, just to be safe.
“I submitted some blood samples and was checked for about 30 conditions. The one that came back as a cause for concern was my PSA.”
PSA is a blood test used primarily to screen for prostate cancer and Nicol’s result came back as 3.8.
Nicol added: “It’s worth noting that PSA tests aren’t always reliable, and GPs can be reluctant to offer them.
“My own GP sent me away a few years ago, in spite of my family history, telling me not to worry. Having the results of my home testing kit might have helped get the conversation started this time.”
He emailed the report to his GP who arranged a further PSA test which came back as 4.3.
The entrepreneur added: “The next step was an MRI scan which didn’t seem to worry anyone too much, and as I was heading for the door the doctor asked if there was a family history of prostate cancer.
“I explained that my Dad (John) had died of prostate cancer in 2008 at the age of 62, so they casually suggested that if I wanted more certainly I could go for a biopsy.
“The biopsy found traces of cancer in 14 out of 20 samples so then the conversation turned to treatments, including active monitoring, radiotherapy, chemotherapy and a prostatectomy, which is the surgical procedure to remove the prostate gland.”
He acknowledged that treatment decisions are personal but felt, given his relatively young age, surgery felt like the best way to reduce the risk of the cancer returning.
The number of NHS searches for prostate cancer symptoms has increased eight-fold after six-time Olympic cycling champion Sir Chris Hoy revealed his own prostate cancer was terminal.