Agencies/London


Veteran chat show host Michael Parkinson yesterday revealed he had prostate cancer, but said he was living a normal life and hoped to make a full recovery.
The 78-year-old is undergoing radiotherapy but said he was confident of returning to full health.
In an interview with the Press Association, Parkinson said: “It was a great shock, but I have been told to expect to make a full recovery.”
“Parky” was diagnosed with the disease in May after a routine health check. His treatment involves five sessions of radiotherapy a week.
The journalist and interviewer said he was “in wonder” at the marvellous work of medical staff after initial thoughts of his own mortality.
“I had to start calling a few of my social engagements to tell them I couldn’t do it – what do you say to them? When you are told you have something like cancer, it is a shock. But the cancer specialist said: ‘I will assure you, you will not die of this. I am concerned about it, of course, but I am not frightened of it.”
Parkinson added that he had found the treatment free from pain and discomfort. “If anything, it’s boring. You have to lie there completely still, for six minutes. But I have had no side effects at all.”
He said the cancer is contained in his prostate, and that he should be completely free of the disease by August. He urged men to pay greater attention to their health in order to catch potential diseases early.
Parkinson’s career has seen him welcome the likes of Mohamed Ali, David Beckham and Rod Hull – with puppet Emu – on to his chatshows during a long career. “I’m 78 and I have had a good life,” he said. “When you get involved in this, you begin to understand the extraordinary work of those involved in treating cancer”.