A cancer survivor wants to warn all men to get their blood tested, because it could save their lives.

Clem, a prostate cancer survivor from Linford near Ringwood, says men need to find out their PSA levels because it could help identify people at risk and potentially save lives.

"My wife asked and told me, 'Why don't you go to the doctor and get checked up?"

In summer 2017, Clem, who is an RAF veteran, was waking up in the night and going to the toilet two-to-three times. He noticed his urine becoming slower and slower.

Clem's wife June, a former NHS nurse, encouraged him to go to the doctor.

Clem said: "I did the 'man thing' and said, 'Oh no, I'm alright."

At the doctors, Clem had a blood test and it found his PSA, or prostate specific antigen level was far higher than what it should have been.

Clem said: "My wife [June] asked and told me, 'Why don't you go to the doctor and get a check up?'""

[My level] should have been four or five, and it was 226," the Hampshire man said.

He continued: "If I'd left it perhaps six months, it could have spread to other organs."

Unable to do much exercise during recovery, he turned his mind to building a flight simulator and, although it started as a couple of screens, it became a plane without a cockpit.

Taking on a marathon simulated flight for charity, he flew virtually from Gatwick to Sydney and raised £5,000 for Prostate Cancer Research.

Asked about what men should do, Clem said: "Know your PSA! Get your blood tested now!"

Clem's simulator became a plane without a cockpit (Image: Christina Halm) Time for Real Talk

Clem is a Black man, which means his risk of developing prostate cancer was double that of a White man and half as likely to survive.

Although prostate cancer is the most common cancer in all men, accounting for 52,000 cases and 12,000 deaths a year, Black men are more at risk.

The Real Talk campaign by Prostate Cancer Research, in collaboration with Ipsen UK, encourages Black men to talk to their healthcare team about having a PSA blood test where appropriate.

Ipsen is a global biopharmaceutical company with a focus on bringing transformative medicines to patients in three therapeutic areas: Oncology, Rare Disease and Neuroscience.

Director of Research and Communications at Prostate Cancer Research, Dr Naomi Elster, asserted: "It’s unacceptable that this disparity exists."

By raising awareness, the Real Talk campaign hopes to close the gap for Black men with prostate cancer. 

According to the new Real Talk research, while 63 per cent of Black men felt they would be comfortable talking about prostate health, they are more comfortable talking about other ‘taboo’ topics like sexuality, mental health or politics.

At risk men should get their PSA level tested (Image: Christina Halm) Dr Naomi continued: "Fixing the problem starts with awareness.

"We encourage loved ones to talk to Black men about getting tested and ask healthcare professionals to consider PSA tests for Black men, even at a younger age, due to their higher risk.”

The PSA blood test can be carried out at local GP practices and is available for free to all men over 50, but men with a family history of prostate cancer may wish to speak to their GP about getting tested earlier.

For more information on prostate cancer, please click here.

For more information on the Real Talk campaign, click here.