Mansfield man diagnosed with incurable prostate cancer gears up for charity cycle
A Mansfield man is warning about the signs of prostate cancer after dismissing his symptoms as nothing to worry about before being diagnosed with an incurable stage of the condition.
Richard Squires, 68, from Mansfield, noticed swelling in his groin after a shower but went to play golf hoping it would disappear
In the months before he had also been waking to use the toilet at night and experiencing lower abdominal pains that a pharmacist advised could be IBS.
However after having tests done at the GP it was found his PSA level was over 300 — it should be around five or six — and he was diagnosed with stage 4 prostate cancer within weeks.
Since his diagnosis two years ago Mr Squires has gone on to raise £3,500 for Prostate Cancer UK by having a prostate cancer logo tattooed on his upper arm with the slogan "it came, I saw, I shall conquer". He is now in training for an epic 56-mile cycle in the hopes of raising more.
Mr Squires is gearing up for Tour de 4 2026 – the cycling event launched by Sir Chris Hoy – and will take part with friends, including one who also has stage 4 cancer.
Mr Squires will take on the cycling challenge in Glasgow in September and is hoping to raise as much as possible.
He said: “All funds raised will go to charities supporting people affected by Stage 4 cancer. Every pound can save a life so if you’re able to donate or share, I’d be incredibly grateful. Every contribution helps provide vital support and care.”
As well as raising money Mr Squires is also passionate about raising awareness.
He said: “I was a typical man about it when I had a few symptoms, I just buried my head in the sand and assumed it would go away.
"I was very naive and despite quite a few friends experiencing prostrate cancer I just thought it won’t happen to me.
"Now I try and raise awareness as much as I can. I’d say to anyone experiencing any symptoms to go and ask for a PSA test at their GP, if I’d had done the same three months before my diagnosis it might have been curable.”
Since spreading the word Mr Squires has already helped one friend who went on to get tested and diagnosed with a curable form of prostate cancer.
Although Mr Squires cancer is not curable it is treatable and thanks to being fit and healthy he is able to cope with some of the new more aggressive treatments.
Speaking about his prognosis he said: “The consultant said there’s a good chance I’ll survive long enough to die of something else which is probably the best way of looking at it really. My outlook is good for the next ten years and thankfully because I am fit and healthy I am able to cope with the new more aggressive treatments, it just unfortunately means I tend to have three good months and then a month where I’m a bit wiped out.
"The NHS has been fantastic with treating the symptoms but not so great at offering mental health support so I’ve started paying to see a therapist and speaking to someone has massively helped. I think it’s the old adage of a problem shared is a problem halved and it has been very cathartic to open up.
"It has also made me much more open about speaking to other people about my diagnosis and helping to raise awareness which in turn has helped me build up a support network of other people going through the same thing.”