Last updated at 16:26, Friday, 01 March 2013

A BUSY councillor has spoken of his relief after getting the all clear in his cancer battle.

COUNCILLOR BRIAN CRAWFORD

Councillor Brian Crawford, the mayor-elect of Millom, had a cancerous tumour removed from his bladder in April last year.

And this week he was given the news that the cancer had not returned.

As well as expressing his relief, Cllr Crawford, 70, urged other men of similar stage in life to get checked out.

He said: “The tumour that they took out and the chemical that they put in to treat the inside of my bladder must have worked because no more tumours have appeared.

“Anyone over the age of 50 should contact their GP and ask for a PSA test. It’s very simple and it could be a life saver.

“If you can get it early enough it can be saved. But if you leave it, cancer of the bladder penetrates through the bladder into your hips and your bones and you’re dead.

“Mine was a very early stage type cancer. But if I’d ignored it, it could have penetrated the bladder on the outside.”

After initially fearing he had prostate cancer, tests revealed it was actually a tumour in his bladder.

He said: “I thought I was clear, then before Christmas 2011 I was out with the family at Dalton zoo and I started passing blood.

“I contacted my specialist and they did a scan of my bladder and found the tumour.

“Prostate and bladder cancer are one of the biggest killers of men.

“For what it takes to be tested, which is virtually nothing, it could save your life. People can have cancer and not really know about it.’’

First published at 15:29, Friday, 01 March 2013
Published by http://www.nwemail.co.uk