CHRIS KAMARA revealed he had a prostate cancer scare.
And now he is urging men to bury their pride and embarrassment and get tested.
Chris Kamara, left, had a prostate cancer scare in 2024 Credit: PA
Kammy and Ben Shephard are going to do the Great North Run together in September Credit: PA
The Sky Sports legend, 68, has been supporting Prostate Cancer UK’s work for a decade, including ten charity walks with pal Jeff Stelling.
But a health scare after a routine blood test in 2024 sparked alarm bells for the former Swindon and Brentford midfielder – before he was given good news that it was not cancer.
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Kammy told the Mirror: “Any man would feel scared about the prospect of getting prostate cancer.
“I’ve been working with the charity for more than a decade, so I know that early diagnosis is absolutely key.
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“A routine test I had two years ago flagged up a slightly PSA level raised level.
“That was a scary thing to hear, but thankfully it turned out I didn’t have prostate cancer. After consistent monitoring, my levels remain the same.
“As men, it’s so important we look after ourselves and keep an eye on any changes.
“I do get up in the night to pee more now. But that’s a symptom of other conditions too, so check with your GP.
Kamara has done ten charity walks to raise money for Prostate Cancer UK Credit: PA
What is prostate cancer?
Prostate cancer affects a small, walnut shaped gland that sits underneath the bladder and surrounds the urethra – the tube carrying pee outside the body.
It usually grows bigger as you get older.
The prostate’s main job is to help make semen – the fluid that carries sperm.
Most men with early prostate cancer don’t have any signs or symptoms – that’s why it’s important to know about your risk.
Possible symptoms include:
Difficulty starting to urinate or emptying your bladder
A weak flow when you urinate
A feeling that your bladder hasn’t emptied properly
Dribbling urine after you finish urinating
Needing to urinate more often than usual, especially at night
A sudden need to urinate – you may sometimes leak urine before you get to the toilet
If you do notice changes in the way you urinate, this is more likely to be a sign of an enlarged prostate, which is very common and non-cancerous.
But it’s still a good idea to get it checked out.
In the UK, about one in eight men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer in their lifetime.
Some factors may mean you’re more likely to get it.
This includes:
Getting older – it mainly affects men aged 50 or over
Having a family history of prostate cancer
Being Black
If you have any of these risk factors or if you have any symptoms, speak to your GP.
They can talk to you about your risk, and about the tests that are used to diagnose prostate cancer.
Source: Prostate Cancer UK
“And I know none of us likes going to the doctor about ‘problems below the belt’ – but it’s a mountain you have to climb, so just do it.
“Doing the walks alongside my great mate Jeff and meeting so many affected by prostate cancer, or who were marching in honour of loved ones they had lost, really brought it home to me.
“Those stories are heartbreaking and inspirational at the same time, and having that knowledge of the disease certainly helped me deal with my scare.
“I want to raise as much awareness as I can, particularly for black men, who are at double the risk.
“Prostate Cancer UK have a brilliant risk checker on their website. It takes 30 seconds and may just save your life.
“The problem with prostate checking, it’s your genitals, and you feel embarrassed when you shouldn’t be.
“These doctors and nurses have seen it all before. Get over that problem and go and get yourself checked.”
Rather than climbing a mountain, as he did with Kilimanjaro in 2012, Kamara is preparing to run a half-marathon.
He is set to take on the 13.1-mile challenge at next month’s Great North Run in Newcastle to raise more money for Prostate Cancer UK.
Fittingly, Kammy is doing it alongside son Jack and fellow broadcaster Ben Shephard, who have both supported him through his other major health battle.
Kamara was diagnosed with speech apraxia due to an underactive thyroid – causing him to lose his ability to speak as usual and feeling like a “fraud”.
After various treatments and forms of recovery, Kamara has got the confidence to be back on TV – in large part thanks to Shephard, to whom Kamara went public with his condition in a Good Morning Britain interview in 2023.
Kamara – who is hoping to finish in three hours – added: “Ben has been amazing. He’s part of the reason I came back to do TV.
“He convinced me to do that GMB interview with him. I’m back partly down to his help and encouragement.
“I spent a couple of years feeling sorry for myself and thinking, ‘This is totally beyond me to ever consider getting back to walking, never mind jogging.’
“I wanted to give myself a real challenge to try and get back to somewhere near the person I was.
“I’m helping a lot of charities these days. I thought, ‘What would be the perfect challenge for me?’ To do a half marathon and make it to the finish line with all my problems.
“Going down stairs I’m not so good, so going down hills is going to be a massive challenge.
“But Ben and my son Jack will guide me through that. They will make sure I get it done.”
