Labour MP and Whip Godfrey Farrugia made his diagnosis public through Facebook. Photo: Matthew Mirabelli

Godfrey Farrugia only opened the envelope with his blood test results about 15 days after it had arrived at his clinic.

As a doctor he immediately realised that one of the blood cancer markers was very high.

“When I saw the result I told myself this is indicative that I have the onset of cancer and immediately spoke to a consultant to have the result confirmed,” he told the Times of Malta yesterday from his bed at Mater Dei Hospital.

The 55-year-old doctor had taken his own blood sample as part of a regular screening process men of his age are advised to undertake. The diagnosis showed he had prostate cancer.

“I broke the news to my family when I got the diagnosis and everyone is supporting me,” he said.

Dr Farrugia, a former health minister and current Labour Party Whip, made public his diagnosis on Saturday evening through a Facebook post.

The post prompted a torrent of well-wishes and yesterday morning Prime Minister Joseph Muscat and Opposition leader Simon Busuttil expressed the hope that their parliamentary colleague would have a speedy recovery.

But speaking to this newspaper over the phone for 15 minutes, Dr Farrugia yesterday sounded very matter-of-fact about his medical condition.

“I am a person who accepts things immediately. I am very lucky because I got to know through screening not through symptoms and despite the ordeal the important thing is to end up as winners.”

Important thing is to end up as winners

He said that as a family doctor he always urged his patients to be good patients and it was now his turn to lead by example. However, he acknowledged concern about any complications that may arise as a result of the operation.

“The fear element is there but you have to accept the condition and once you do so, you are ready for it. I am not frightened of the ordeal itself,” Dr Farrugia said.

The only “ugly experience” he had over the past few days was the high fever and the burning sensation when urinating. But he has turned these into a learning experience.

“I can now understand better the plight of patients.”

Dr Farrugia said he expected to be discharged from Mater Dei Hospital tomorrow after finishing a course of antibiotics. He will then have to await his slot in the UK to undergo surgery to have his prostate removed. The procedure is known as radical prostatectomy and doctors will remove the prostate gland and some of the tissue around it.

Donning the doctor’s cap, Dr Farrugia said the operation was considered major because the prostate gland was located close to the excretory and reproductive organs.

“I will follow the clinical pathway indicated by the specialists. I have no idea when the operation will happen because it is the UK doctors who will indicate the slot but it would require a minimum stay of 10 days.”

Dr Farrugia said Malta was fortunate enough to use one of the UK specialist centres for the treatment of patients abroad.

Before ending the conversation Dr Farrugia stressed the importance of State investment in preventive medicine. He urged patients asked to undergo free medical screenings not to pass up the opportunity.

“If I did not perform the blood test, more time could have gone by and it could have ended up far worse. Even though things are not good, I still have the chance of eradicating the problem totally.”

Dr Farrugia is the second MP in as many years to be diagnosed with cancer. Last year Nationalist Party deputy leader Beppe Fenech Adami discovered that he had cancer in his right shoulder blade and had to be treated in the UK.

kurt.sansone@timesofmalta.com