BBC Breakfast took an emotional turn on Friday after Charlie Stayt and Naga Munchetty introduced a father and son who battled prostate cancer together.
The Elson family spoke with BBC Breakfast about how the disease has affected their family during a heartbreaking interview. Harry and Jeremy Elson were both diagnosed with the disease, and while son Jeremy’s cancer was detected early, it wasn’t the same for his father.
Charlie began, “There have been growing calls for more prostate cancer screening in the UK, including from Sir Chris Hoy, former prime ministers Rishi Sunak and Lord David Cameron.”
Naga continued, “This afternoon, an expert advisory panel will announce whether it believes the government should introduce a screening program.”
Charlie added, “Ahead of the decision, our reporter Tim Muffett visited a family which has seen three generations diagnosed with the disease.”
Tim started the interview by asking Harry’s wife and Jeremy’s mother how their diagnosis has affected the family. She explained that it had “turned their life upside down” and was “devastating.”
She said, “Harry and I are always so close, so loving, and to have him diagnosed with what is a…could be a terminal disease was life-shattering.”
Before speaking about his own illness, Harry explained that his father and his father’s brothers died of prostate cancer.
“I am stage four,” Harry shared before adding, “Which means to say that it’s got outside of the capsule and gone into my body, into my bones, not curable.”
Harry then began to “well up” before his son, Jeremy, discussed his own prostate cancer battle.
He said, “It was considered an old man’s disease, probably, and I think that we know now that it’s not.”
In a voiceover, Tim explained, “As this family has discovered, an early diagnosis of prostate cancer can make all the difference. Harry’s son, Jeremy, was also diagnosed with the condition, but at a much earlier stage than his dad.”
Jeremy’s diagnosis was discovered early, and he went to the doctor to get tested due to his family history. And while his PSA levels were low, he began to get groin pain, which then led to further tests, which then revealed he had prostate cancer.
He went on, “So they discovered it because of their interventions, as early as one can discover prostate cancer, and in my case, I’ve been cured. You know, the disease no longer exists to me.”
However, the same couldn’t be said for Jeremy’s father. When asked about that, Harry admitted, “No, it does make me furious, if I think about it, and I know with Margaret, but the thing is, it’s no good dwelling on it, really.”
Harry’s wife Margaret added, “I’m really so angry for him. This could have been stopped if we had realised that he should have pushed a bit more at the GP.
“I know there are lots of people who have much worse diagnoses and are in much worse condition. Truly, I don’t much care about other people, which sounds very callous. I care about Harry and the family.”
Harry broke down as he shared, “Margaret’s just been a rock. She does everything. She organises me, the hospital runs, the tablets, and chemotherapy. She has been a huge support.
“I want to carry that flag for people who have got stage four, say it’s not the end of the road.”
BBC Breakfast airs daily at 6am on BBC Breakfast.
