A writer believes he may owe his life to TV presenter Nick Owen after opening up about his cancer on BBC Midlands Today.

Ian Phillipson decided to request a test after watching Owen speak passionately about his prostate cancer treatment in 2023. The test came back positive.

The 66-year-old, from Burghill, Herefordshire, said he was feeling well after the treatment and his symptoms were gradually improving.

Owen said he felt humiliated that Mr Phillipson had been urged to be tested. “We had a lot in common and it was a really lovely experience. We’re prostate cancer buddies,” he said after the two met.

“I saw Nick being open about his diagnosis and how if your father or immediate family has had prostate cancer then you should get a cheque,” ​​Mr Phillipson said.

“My dad had it too and I was told on November 1 that my PSA was high, which then triggered an MRI scan and I was diagnosed in January this year.”

He underwent a course of radiation therapy in June and July, and in August, following another PSA test, doctors told him he was cancer-free.

He was one of dozens of viewers who wrote to Owen thanking him for raising awareness of a disease believed to affect one in eight men in their lifetime. Earlier this month, Owen went to visit him.

“I want to thank you, Nick, because you might have saved my life,” Mr Phillipson told him.

“Who knows what catalyst there might have been in the future that would have prompted me to check myself?”

“It’s a really good result for Ian,” said Owen. “I’m so excited to have met him now and to be able to share our experiences.

After Owen went public, charities saw an increase in inquiries about prostate-specific antigen (PSA) blood testing, where high levels can indicate prostate disease.

The introducer added that he was inundated with correspondence from the wives, girlfriends and children of men who had been diagnosed with prostate cancer.

Symptoms may include urinating more than usual and the presence of blood in the urine. Men aged 50 or over can ask their GP for a test, even if they have no symptoms.