"Early diagnosis saved both of our lives" - Kevin and Lynne Crowley's cancer experiences content
Kevin and Lynne Crowley are happily retired in Halifax, thanks to both of their cancers being diagnosed early.
The couple, who have been married for nearly 39 years, faced a challenging time when Lynne was diagnosed with breast cancer and then, just four years later, Kevin was told he had prostate cancer.
However, they now look back on their struggles with hope for the future, grateful to have made it through together.
Lynne, aged 78, first went to the GP in 2020 after noticing her nipple had inverted, which is a potential and important sign of breast cancer. Despite happening during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, she was quickly sent to hospital for further tests before being diagnosed with breast cancer.
“It was almost like an out-of-body experience. The word ‘cancer’ is a shock to hear,” Lynne admitted. “You expect it to happen to other people, not yourself.”
She was immediately booked in for an operation, and the affected breast was successfully removed. Lynne later went in for another operation after they found the cancer was in her lymph nodes, which she was also able to recover from smoothly.
While the treatment was swift, the circumstances were tough.
“We were in the middle of moving house, which was already a handful, and then the pandemic struck,” Lynne explained. “Lockdown made my treatment more difficult. I had to stay away from everyone for two weeks before both of my surgeries, meaning poor Kevin had to sleep in the caravan outside. In the hospital before the operation, I couldn’t see or speak to anyone either, so it was quite an isolating and stressful time.”
However, Lynne recalls the optimism of the ward she was on, with everyone telling jokes and keeping each other in good spirits. Five years after those life-giving surgeries, Lynne is taking hormone therapy to prevent the cancer coming back and has an up-beat attitude.
Quote from Lynne Crowley
I believe it’s important to be positive about your health, both during and after cancer. You can’t do anything to change the fact you have been diagnosed, but you can be positive about it and continue on with your life.”
It’s this outlook and unconditional support that has helped her husband Kevin, aged 70, through his own cancer experience. It started in June 2024, when Kevin requested a prostate specific antigen (PSA) test, which measures the levels of a specific protein in the blood that can be related to prostate cancer.
“I first went to see my doctor for a different blood test after noticing patches of skin on my face had lost colour. The results indicated that nothing was wrong, but I had heard a lot about PSA tests in the news, so I thought it was just best to check.”
Kevin had a high PSA reading and was sent to have an MRI scan. Just 24 hours after a subsequent bone scan, he was diagnosed with prostate cancer.
“The scan of my prostate clearly showed a large shadow where the tumour was, but it was still a shock to see, because I had no symptoms at all,” he acknowledged. “I would have never known it was there otherwise.”
Kevin was given a few options for treatment and soon decided he would have a ‘prostatectomy’, which is a procedure to remove the prostate gland. The surgery had no complications and six months after his diagnosis, Kevin is doing well.
Since Kevin’s cancer experience began, the couple have been surprised by how many members of their community have also been impacted by prostate cancer.
Kevin said: “It was only after I had been diagnosed that people started to come forward and tell us about what they had been going through, with many of my friends ringing me up to provide support and share their anecdotes. At our local golf club, I’m now part of a great group of guys called the ‘wrinklies’ who get together to chat about their health and help each other out.
Quote from Kevin Crowley
It seems that men are less likely to discuss the aches and pains in their bodies. I now see myself as having that role in our friendship groups and wider circles to talk about potential signs of prostate cancer and encourage others to ask for a PSA test so they can get diagnosed as early as they can. However, more still needs to be done.”
“We have friends who have had long and difficult treatments because of their late diagnoses, and some are even sadly incurable. Early diagnosis saved both of our lives,” Lynne said.
Kevin added: “I feel extremely lucky. I wish it hadn’t happened, but I’m so glad and relieved that my cancer was caught early. If I hadn’t asked for that PSA test, who knows where I would have been in two years?”
To give something back, Kevin has joined Yorkshire Cancer Research’s Research Advisory Panel. The panel plays a crucial role in helping the charity review applications for funding and make sure they align with the charity’s aims, one of these being to improve rates of early diagnosis in Yorkshire.
The panel, which consists of people with experience of cancer as well as scientific experts, recently reviewed an application for a new prostate screening trial called IMProVE, which went on to be successfully funded by the charity. The trial will investigate how a national screening programme for prostate cancer can be introduced.
Quote from Kevin Crowley
The new IMProVE prostate screening trial is definitely an important starting point. More people need access to screening so fast-growing cancers can be caught before it’s too late, in Yorkshire and across the country.”
Both husband and wife are now living life to the full. Having just returned from a holiday in Gambia to celebrate Kevin’s 70th birthday with friends and family, they’re now jetting off again to Mexico.
“We certainly appreciate everything more,” Lynne concluded. “We always tried to enjoy ourselves before, but we really treat it as precious now.”
