15:07, 26 May 2026Four warning signs of Prostate CancerProstate cancer affects tens of thousands of men every year, causing around 12,300 deaths each year and the very first symptoms often only appear when the cancer is becoming advanced. While there are ways to test for the cancer, the NHS doe snot have a routine screening for men without symptoms.‌Taxi driver Brian Kelly only discovered he had prostate cancer after a chance encounter with a passenger, Tam Hewitt, who happened to be a volunter with Prostate Cancer UK. During their fated car ride in summer 2024, Mr Hewitt spoke to Mr Kelly about the risks of prostate cancer, the importance of getting checked and how to get a PSA blood test which can detect it.‌The driver hadn’t experienced any symptoms but after talking with Mr Hewitt, he decided to see his GP and remembered how his passenger’s advice. The PSA results found two sites of prostate cancer, one of which was aggressive.‌The 66-year-old started brachytherapy treatment in June last year, just after his youngest daughter graduated. Thanks to the early diagnosis and intervention, Mr Kelly’s cancer was stopped in its tracks at stage two and within a week, he was able to get back to work.Mr Kelly, from East Ayrshire, has praised Mr Hewitt for changing his life and got the chance to thank him in-person thanks a complete coincidence last December as the taxi driver had been called to Mr Hewitt’s house. He told Press Association: “I knew the address, I knew where Tam lived.‌“Again, he had material that we wanted to take with him, we were putting it into the back of the car. Once we had done that, I then broke the news to him.”“I just shook his hand and said ‘by the way, I just want to thank you for saving my life’.”Content cannot be displayed without consent‌The pair began talking and discovered that the 76-year-old had also undergone brachytherapy to treat his own prostate cancer, albiet 20 years before Mr Kelly was diagnosed.The volunteer regularly gives talks to raise awareness about the condition, including organising around 50 awareness stands each year. Mr Hewitt also revealed this isn’t an all too unusual experience for him.He said: “Although it’s not the first time someone has thanked me for having the conversation that has led them choosing to get a PSA test and an early diagnosis I was completely taken aback when Brian asked to shake my hand.‌“If his treatment and journey works as well as mine he will be delighted.“Results like this make it all worthwhile and I’m sure all our volunteers will feel exactly the same.”‌Mr Kelly has taken it on himself to continue Mr Hewitt’s work and spread awareness of prostate cancer. He said: “Anyone who gets into my car who’s over a certain age, I have the conversation with them.“I just throw out, ‘You’re of a certain age, have you had this PSA blood test?’”Joseph Woollcott, Prostate Cancer UK’s head of health policy, said: “Brian and Tam’s story is wonderful, and it shows the power of men talking and looking out for each other. I’m so grateful to all our incredibly dedicated volunteers like Tam, who have lifesaving conversations all the time.Article continues below“One in eight men will get prostate cancer, and your risk doubles if you’re Black, so most of us will know someone living with or after the disease. It’s curable if found early, but it’s also a complex disease that leaves many feeling confused about the right path to take.“Men need people like Tam in their corner, and at Prostate Cancer UK we are here to help men at every step of their journey from diagnosis to treatment and with what comes next.”