Source : Perth Now news
It was a routine check-up that would shake Greg Jacobs to the core.
At just 52, he felt perfectly healthy and was doing what he did every year; visiting his GP for his annual health check.
But after a simple blood test uncovered an aggressive cancer lurking in his prostate, he is now sharing his ordeal as a warning for men across the country, just as new testing guidelines are rolled out to boost early detection.
“In my head, I felt like I was too young,” the Melbourne community manager said of the sudden diagnosis.
His prostate-specific antigen blood test came back slightly outside the normal range, prompting his GP to repeat the test a month later.
When the second test also returned an abnormal reading, Mr Jacobs was referred to a urologist.
An MRI initially showed nothing, but his specialist persisted and recommended a biopsy, given Mr Jacobs’ father had been diagnosed with prostate cancer aged about 60.
The biopsy result was confronting.
Aggressive cancer was found throughout most of Mr Jacobs’ prostate, including high-grade areas rated four and five.
“It kind of shakes you to your core when you get that news,” Mr Jacobs said.
“I’ve got kids, I don’t want to miss out on any of that sort of stuff.”
Faced with treatment choices between surgery and radiotherapy, Mr Jacobs opted to have his prostate removed.
Eight months on from the keyhole surgery, he is cancer-free and reclaiming his life.
Following his procedure, he spent two days in hospital and had a catheter for two weeks, while specialised physiotherapy helped him recover from post-operative incontinence.
Mr Jacobs said he had since returned to cycling, work and playing AFL nines with friends, although he continues to undergo regular PSA tests every three months.
He spoke out as medical experts urged men to go and discuss their individual risk factors with their GP, rather than waiting for symptoms to appear.
Prostate cancer remains one of Australia’s most commonly diagnosed cancers, with nearly 29,000 men diagnosed with the disease in 2025.
About 3975 men also died from prostate cancer in 2025, making up 13 per cent of all cancer deaths among Australian men.
Despite the toll, the five-year survival rate remains high at 96 per cent, based on men diagnosed between 2017 and 2021.
The revised national guidelines aim to improve early detection of clinically significant cancers while reducing unnecessary tests and invasive treatments for low-risk cases.
Urological society of Australia and New Zealand vice-president Ashani Couchman said prostate cancer remained a massive men’s health issue, with about one-in-five men at risk of being diagnosed by age 85.
“Younger men are being diagnosed with prostate cancer and younger men are at high risk of dying from prostate cancer,” Dr Couchman said.
She said the changes also sought to remove a major psychological barrier to early testing by removing the requirement for a digital rectal examination during initial GP visits.
“We should probably try and remove that stigma of, ‘I’m going to get my prostate checked’,” Dr Couchman said.
“We have some really good ways, we can check that for you without impacting you in that way.
“Go talk about it with your GP.”
For Mr Jacobs, who once assumed his youth would protect him, the reality of the process turned out to be much simpler and less intimidating than expected.
“It’s just a blood test,” he said.
“You’d rather know now than later in the piece where it can really affect your time with your family.”
