Stephen Zammit’s battle with prostate cancer was a tough mental one, which he fought with his wife, Natalie, by his side.

“Once you’re diagnosed, you try to avoid the subject at home and at work, but true to its name, it eats you from within; it eats at your spirit.

“The cancer battle is a mental battle… and it was not my battle, but our battle,” the 52-year-old told this newspaper, sitting next to his wife of 27 years.

His ordeal started in 2013 when a routine check-up raised his doctor’s suspicions.

“As a person with diabetes, I have to undergo my yearly VRT, a routine check-up. But when the doctor told us something was not quite right, I initially took it lightly,” Mr Zammit starts.

I had no pain and no symptoms, but I guess that’s why they call prostate cancer the ‘silent killer’

The only symptom he felt, which he later realised should have raised the alarm, was difficulty relieving himself. He would have ignored the doctor’s comments had his wife not switched into panic mode.

After seeking the opinion of a specialist, they were told Mr Zammit had an infection that needed to be treated before any further tests could be carried out.

“I had no pain and no symptoms, but I guess that’s why they call prostate cancer the ‘silent killer’ – as it might not be diagnosed until it’s too late. The possibility of cancer did go through my mind, however I quickly disposed of that thought.”

A year later, a biopsy revealed a 1mm cancerous tumour.

“All you hear is the word ‘cancer’, and that’s when it hits you. You start thinking about your wife and children, the home loan, life insurance… so I embarked on new projects to put it out of my mind – I painted the house, washed all the cars and went out for walks. I would look at my reflection in the mirror as I was getting dressed and ask myself: is it possible?”

It was decided that the best treatment was robotic prostatectomy, and the surgery had to be done in the UK.

Mr Zammit insists he would not have made it through without his wife – his “pillar of support” (bastun) – and the support he found through his relatives, friends, colleagues and bosses, his bank and Puttinu Cares, which all contributed to some peace of mind. “The first time we knocked on Puttinu Cares’ door, we were welcomed with beaming smiles, and they did not just help us with accommodation in the UK but even found someone who had undergone the same operation and could help us prepare mentally.”

But when in October 2014, Mr Zammit travelled to London with his wife, the surgery was put on hold because of scars he had from previous hernia operations. Following further tests, it was discovered that Mr Zammit had at least five tumours, the largest measuring 12mm, so the prostatectomy had to be done.

In January he returned to London to undergo surgery, and nine months on he is appealing to fellow men to undergo tests, especially if they know of someone in their family who has been diagnosed with prostate cancer. Mr Zammit’s own father is undergoing treatment for prostate cancer, and Mr Zammit is ‘indoctrinating’ his two sons, aged 21 and 25, on the importance of undergoing tests in a few years’ time.

“My appeal to my fellow men is: do not procrastinate on those tests, do them at your earliest.

“And my appeal to those around men diagnosed with cancer is: the battle is also a mental one. Just be there for them.”

Godfrey Farrugia

Support group

Prostate cancer survivor Godfrey Farrugia wants to set up a support group for men with prostate cancer and their families.

Since undergoing surgery in September, the former health minister and now Labour Party whip has been contacted by an overwhelming number of men and relatives seeking support.

Prostate cancer affects a patient’s partner, as it has an impact on men’s incontinency and sexual health. However, no support group exists to help patients and their loved ones handle the ordeal.

The 55-year-old medical doctor said the anxiety of those diagnosed with cancer eased when they spoke to someone who had gone through the same experience.

The support group, which could also later include people diagnosed with bladder cancer and their families, could be structured along the lines of a buddy programme, where experiences were shared, rather than simply passing on information, he suggested.

Dr Farrugia underwent surgery in September and returned to Parliament less than a month later. He is now “leading a very active life”.

He had made the news of his diagnosis public on August 15 and yesterday he repeated his appeal to men to take screening tests.

Dr Farrugia had taken his own blood sample as part of a regular screening process that men of his age are advised to undertake. The diagnosis showed he had prostate cancer.

Men aged 55 and up can take the PSA test provided for free at health centres. As of late 2013, such tests are also being offered for free through family doctors, Dr Farrugia said.

He made a strong case for those who, like him, were predisposed to such a diagnosis because of a hereditary cancer gene and who should take the test at an earlier age.

Prostate cancer, he added, was slow growing and if caught early could be totally eradicated.

Although he had to undergo robotic surgery abroad, preparations and training were under way to start it in Malta.

Those interested in forming a support group can get in touch with Dr Farrugia on Facebook or farrugiagodfrey@gmail.com.