A CANCER survivor said watching television saved his life.
Coventry-born Mark Langan – who now lives in Kenilworth with his wife and three-year-old son – found a lump on his testicle after the annual Channel 4’s ‘Stand Up To Cancer’ telethon prompted him to check.
The 34-year-old said he had turned it on to watch the celebrity specials with his wife but was shocked when a host revealed cancer affected one in two people.
He added: “When we heard that cancer statistic, we looked at each other and said ‘that could be one of us then’.”
On finding the lump, Mark immediately went to his doctor and was sent for an ultrasound scan.
Less than two weeks later, the IT manager had his testicle removed and a scan to see if it had spread.
The scan results confirmed Mark had stage two testicular cancer which had spread to a lymph node in his abdomen. This meant the dad-of-one had to undergo a nine-week course of chemotherapy.
He said: “This was a huge shock to me and my wife and also to all my family and friends.
“If it wasn’t for Stand Up To Cancer, things could be very different for me. Watching that programme probably saved my life. I can’t thank Stand Up To Cancer enough.”
Four weeks after his treatment, Mark was given the all clear and started back at work two weeks later.
He said his experience made him want to help raise awareness and encourage people to check themselves to aid early diagnosis.
He added: “I would urge people to get to know what is normal for their bodies and tell the doctor about any unusual or persistent changes. It definitely helped me catching it early before the cancer had spread too far.”
Stand Up To Cancer is a joint fundraising campaign from Cancer Research UK and Channel 4, which raises cash to help create new tests and treatments to cancer patients, faster.
Since it was launched in the UK in 2012, Stand Up To Cancer has raised over £38million to fund over 40 clinical trials and research projects.
Cancer Research spokesperson Jane Redman said: “We’re really grateful to Mark for highlighting the importance of Stand Up To Cancer by sharing his story.
“By raising money for game-changing research, Stand Up To Cancer will support our progress and help change the outlook for more people with the disease.”
Stand Up To Cancer is supported by a host of celebrities from TV, film and radio including Davina McCall, Alan Carr, Bill Bailey, Edith Bowman and Kirstie Allsopp and features a number of television specials including a celebrity edition of Gogglebox and The Last Leg airing tonight.
Visit www.standuptocancer.org.uk for more information and to get a free fundraising pack.
