Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia

In July 2020, at the age of 42, Nine Newsreader Will McDonald was diagnosed with advanced prostate cancer after developing a pain in his hip.

When diagnosed, specialists found that the cancer had already spread outside the prostate to his left hip.

Being diagnosed with aggressive cancer at such a young age came as a complete shock.

“My dad was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2019 at the age of 75. They found his relatively early and he’s back to full health now,” says Will.

“After dad was diagnosed, I knew that I had an increased risk of prostate cancer – but to be diagnosed so soon was a lot to take in.

“But just days after my prostate cancer diagnosis, I made the decision to do everything I possibly can to stay positive, strong and get completely healthy again.”

Since his diagnosis Will has courageously handled chemotherapy, radiation therapy and ongoing hormone therapy - working throughout his treatment.

Despite all he has endured to date, the experience has made him more determined to make a difference by supporting PCFA in campaigns such as Dry July.

Will and his partner Samantha also recently welcomed their first child Alfie Buxton McDonald to the family, after five arduous rounds of IVF.

“I’m proud to be an ambassador for PCFA and urge others to go Dry this July for men and families fighting prostate cancer,” he said.

“With 1 in 5 men now diagnosed in their lifetime, I know why I Dry July - awareness and support has never been more important.” 

“The best part of my job is the patients, they are so resilient, so amazing. Having the opportunity to support these men and their families is such an honour.

I would like to thank all of those people who choose to go Dry in July."

Meet Rick. He was diagnosed with prostate cancer at just 47 and had a radical prostatectomy last year.

“I’m one of the lucky ones,” he says, “I had a proactive GP who started testing me at 40.

“When my PSA started rising, I didn’t hesitate in seeing a urologist - an MRI and biopsy found a Gleason Grade 6 prostate cancer.

“My specialist at the time recommended Active Surveillance with yearly biopsies and PSA monitoring, and earlier this year my PSA hit the high sixes and they found a nodule, suggesting it was growing.

“I went in for surgery 10 days later I got the phone call I was hoping for – they got all of it, with no trace of the cancer in surrounding tissue or lymph nodes.

“Sharing that news with my wife Linda and sons Mitchel and Alexander was a great moment after three years of worrying. Their love and strength carried me through and every day I battled it was for them.

“My message for other men out there is that we only get one shot at life, and we don’t want this disease to take us, so get checked.

“And if you need support, you’ve got it – from me and other men who are in this fight with us.”

Rick signed up for Dry July last year to help encourage more men to learn about their prostate cancer risks and get tested.

The Perth father-of-three was diagnosed with prostate cancer at age 44 and underwent a robotic prostatectomy.

“I had no symptoms, but prostate cancer runs in my family, my dad and uncle were both diagnosed. My mum asked me to get my prostate levels checked, and after quite a bit of nagging, I went to my GP and got the test. We decided to just keep an eye on it. It was a horrible time for us, it was the worst feeling … not knowing. I had a tumour inside my body, could I potentially die? There were many sleepless nights and worry. About five months later my PSA readings went through the roof – from a 3 to a 7, which is what you might find in a 70-year-old, as levels increase with age. For men my age, the average PSA is usually between 0 and 2.5.

“I wish I’d reached out more for support at the time. We were very private about it all and didn’t really tell anyone other than my parents and my wife’s mum. Looking back, it would have been better to have shared it with close friends and family, because I bottled up a lot of my feelings. We did tell our kids, who were eight, 12, and 14 at the time. They knew it was cancer, but we said we weren’t too worried about it as we were getting good medical advice. We tried to keep it as open and honest as we could, we didn’t want to worry them.

“At point of diagnosis the biopsy found the tumour was very small, at just .003cm, but when I went in for surgery they found another massive tumour, somewhere between 1-3cm. My surgeon said I had dodged a bullet – it was still contained within my prostate and hadn’t spread.

“Three years on, I have ongoing medication to treat some nerve damage, but it’s something I manage. We had a lot of support through PCFA, and Hollywood Hospital in Perth. I feel pretty lucky, things could have gone the other way. I could have decided not to do the surgery, or not to get my PSA level tested for a few more years. I thank my mum for nagging me. For any man who is hesitating to see a doctor, my message is simple: It could save your life. It’s just a blood test, so please get tested.”

A huge thank you to everyone who generously donated to PCFA over the past two days to double our impact. Because of you, we received $25,000 in matched funding from our friends at Tyrepower! While matched-giving has finished, we still need your help — every dollar raised throughout the rest of the month will help men impacted by prostate cancer. Prostate cancer is now the leading cause of cancer in Australia. Together, we can raise funds and awareness to help save more lives and ensure those diagnosed have access to vital support through our Prostate Cancer Specialist Nurses