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In 2006, Alan was diagnosed with an aggressive prostate cancer.

He chose to have a robotic operation to have it removed, which was 100 per cent successful.

Alan found out about his cancer by chance, when his doctor decided to run blood tests.

He said he had absolutely no symptoms and if it were not for high levels of Prostate Specific Antigen showing up in his blood test, he would not have caught the cancer as early as he did.

He said he strongly advised men to get PSA tests done by their GP as it was a lot less invasive than the traditional prostate cancer check.

‘‘If I wasn’t tested, I wouldn’t be here today,’’ he said.

When Alan was first diagnosed with cancer he and his family were in shock as he seemed to be in perfect health.

Being in a rural location like Rochester, Alan had to do a lot of travelling to and from doctors, urologists and hospitals in Shepparton and often had to take a week off just for appointments.

‘‘I found the travelling hard as I was suffering from anxiety too,’’ he said.

‘‘You’re driving to get tests done and you are thinking you’ve got this thing inside you eating you up.’’

He said it must be difficult for those having chemotherapy sessions who travelled to Bendigo and Shepparton daily.

When Alan had his surgery, he said the only person he could speak to about it was his professor’s nurse, who was not always available.

‘‘After the surgery I was jumping at shadows,’’ he said.

He was afraid every ache, pain or trace of blood was a bad sign.

Then he discovered the helpline, Cancer Connect (131120) — which helps people connect with volunteers who have won the battle against cancer — and is now a dedicated volunteer himself.

For the past four years, Alan has been a committee member for Relay for Life Echuca-Moama.

He said he joined to celebrate those who have survived cancer, remember those who were not so lucky and raise awareness to minimise the risk of cancer.

Alan’s future plans include beginning an awareness campaign about PSA testing for men.

He has put together a few tips on how to react when someone tells you they have cancer:

■give them a hug; tell them you love them and that you are both in this together;

■suggest they call Cancer Connect (131120);

■encourage them to share their sadness, uncertainty, anxiousness and other emotions;

■accompany them to medical appointments;

■be honest when speaking about after affects, tell them how you feel about it and how you can work together to overcome problems; and

■when the cancer threat has passed, hug them again; tell them you love them and celebrate.