When Kenny was diagnosed with cancer and lost sight in one eye, he found solace in music, painting and calming his mind.
“The roles have been reversed”, Kenny Allan jokes as we chat for this interview.
With a 35-year career under his belt as a newspaper journalist, Kenny is the subject of the interview now.
Having excellent attention to detail is a must for any reporter worth their salt, and for Kenny it’s a trait which helped him spot the signs of prostate cancer. At the tail end of 2022, Kenny noticed he was passing urine more often, which was accompanied by some discomfort.
He was quickly seen by a GP and was referred for a PSA check - a simple blood test designed to check the levels of prostate-speficic-antigen in the blood.
With an elevated PSA level, Kenny needed a biopsy. He recalls how he felt when his doctor indicated he was 90% sure Kenny had cancer. “It’s a forewarning I was grateful for”, says Kenny. In March 2023, his doctor’s suspicions were confirmed - Kenny did have prostate cancer.
“My radiotherapy treatment was when I first came into contact with this lot,” says Kenny, pointing out the Friends of ANCHOR charity cap he’s sporting. “As you can imagine, you’re extremely nervous when you’re beginning treatment. When I saw the long daunting corridor leading to radiotherapy I thought ‘oh my god!’ But what you see as you make your way along is a happy smiling face - a volunteer from Friends of ANCHOR to reassure you.”
Kenny says that first impression stayed with him through the remainder of his treatment, which included 20 sessions of radiotherapy. Finding ways to cope during a diagnosis can be difficult.
For Kenny, even after permanently losing sight in one eye due to an auto-immune reaction, he continues his hobby of painting miniature figures - and he says music is another anchor of his. When Friends of ANCHOR’s patient choir cropped up, Kenny decided to give it a bash. A childhood spent singing in the Grammar School choir means Kenny is no stranger to the hobby.
“I’m not a good singer but I enjoy choir - especially now as it’s a way of relief. Luckily, I am now in remission, but there is still a lot of pressure and worry following my diagnosis. There’s always going to be concern about what’s next - but through the choir I’ve met others who have gone through similar things. It’s a great bunch of people. You walk in to each session and the choirmaster Laura and the rest of the group are always smiling. It’s great fun.”
Testing out the charity’s services didn’t stop there for Kenny. He likes to show off his ‘Advanced Mindfulness Graduate’ certificate to his friends every once in a while, too.
“I wasn’t sleeping well, and after just a couple of sessions with the mindfulness instructor Louise, I had the tricks to practice at home. We were shown how to use simple breathing and counting techniques - and it worked! I still use what I learned in the course - it comes to me automatically now. When you’re going through cancer treatment, that’s the kind of thing you need.”
Kenny “couldn’t fault” the care of medical teams he came across during his treatment and he says he feels encouraged by Friends of ANCHOR’s collaboration with UCAN to create the SURE Unit - a Swift Urological Response and Evaluation facility for the North-east.
“After I retired from the Evening Express in 2003 I moved to Cyprus with my wife Pat. PSA tests were regularly offered there,” Kenny says.
When they returned to the UK though, Kenny was surprised to learn PSA tests are not routinely offered here.
“It took around four months to get my official diagnosis, but treatment started rapidly after that - so once the SURE Unit gets going, that will be such a relief as it will speed up the whole process. I think the partnership between Friends of ANCHOR and UCAN to make this a reality is very good. I had dealings with UCAN who were fantastic. No matter how positive someone may seem from the outside, you do still carry a worry at the back of your mind when you’re having health problems, and the SURE Unit will alleviate some of those, which can only be a good thing.”
The SURE Unit is due to open in 2026, thanks to a joint £2.5m fundraising effort by Friends of ANCHOR and urological cancer charity UCAN. The facility, located within ARI, will provide Swift Urological Response and Evaluation for anyone who is displaying symptoms. To read more about the SURE Unit, tap here