WHEN engineer Fintan Kelly was diagnosed with prostate cancer – he could call on his two brothers for support.

That’s because the three brothers were all diagnosed with prostate cancer around the same time.

The Huddersfield engineer was shocked when his older brother Eamonn was diagnosed with the cancer.

But he only took the test when his other brother Brian was also diagnosed with it.

The three men are now determined to raise awareness of the vital prostate specific antigen (PSA) test.

Fintan Kelly, an engineer at Cummins Turbo Technologies on St Andrew’s Road, is now telling men not to bury their heads in the sand.

The 53-year-old said: “None of us had any symptoms at all so thought ‘why do the test?’

“But when my brothers were both told they had prostate cancer I did a test.

“The consultant asked what made me go for a test and I told him it was because my brothers had it.

“He told me to call and thank them because it was an aggressive tumour.

“Doing that test has given me an extra 20 or 30 years I probably wouldn’t have had otherwise.

“Any longer could have been too late.”

The grandfather underwent a four-hour operation in January and needed to take three months off work to recover.

But he has returned and is now determined to spread the message by encouraging his colleagues to get tested.

Mr Kelly, who lives in Wyke, added: “I’m quite a strong person and I take things on the chin.

“There are thousands of people out there with it and you just have to get on with life.

“It goes without saying that all three of us would be happier if we did not have this disease.

“But the fact that we are aware does give us the opportunity to tackle it and receive appropriate treatment and surgery before it is too late.

“Now we want other men to go for the test once a year.

“Ok, it may not be pleasant but it is worthwhile.”

Eamonn, 66, and Brian, 62, are both recovering and are also spreading the word in Bognor Regis and Southampton where they live.

Around 35,000 people are diagnosed with prostate cancer every year in the UK, with 10,000 dying from the cancer.