Inspired by Olympic cyclist Chris Hoy, Alan Richmond has defied an 18-month terminal prostate cancer prognosis to live eight years on – clinging to hope, family and future treatments
Six-time Olympic cycling legend Chris Hoy was given four years to live after being diagnosed with stage four prostate cancer. Now three years into that time, Sir Chris gave an update earlier this week, explaining how he is trying to “hang in there” as long as he can until new medicines arrive that can prolong his life.
One person who understands that mindset all too well is Alan Richmond who was given just 18 months to live following his diagnosis with the same disease in 2017. Eight years after being given that devastating prognosis, he is still here and, like Chris, is clinging onto the hope of new treatment.
“I was told I had 18 months,” he recalls. “No empathy. I was told to go home and have a drink. I didn’t know what to do.” Shockingly, Alan had none of the usual symptoms before his diagnosis, with a routine blood test picking up the change in his Prostate-Specific Antigen (PSA) score.
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After scans, he was diagnosed with prostate cancer that had spread to his bones, and it was deemed to be incurable. Treatment was aimed at lengthening his life, with chemotherapy and hormone injections completely changing his physical state.
“It robs you of everything it is to be a man,” he explains. “You end up with menopause symptoms, hot sweats, crying at things, and even growing boobs… most women say ‘welcome to my world’,” he jokes.
But against the odds, Alan, from Derbyshire, is still here eight years on thanks to medication and treatment options. Those regular blood tests and scans – his self-described “death row parole board” – now define his life.
Alan, 66, who had retired from the fire service, managed to live long enough to walk his daughter down the aisle. ” As soon as I got the diagnosis, I told her I don’t care how much it costs, I’m going to walk you down the aisle.” In August 2018, he did just that.
He has also lived long enough to meet his two grandchildren, now aged three and six, all while undergoing treatment for his stage four prostate cancer which remains in a stable state.
Sadly his cancer has recently progressed, with new tumours discovered just before Christmas. However, there is still cautious hope. A breakthrough moment came when Alan joined a genetic sequencing programme, which revealed he carries the BRCA2 gene mutation – more commonly linked to breast cancer.
“My mum died of breast cancer, my sister died of pancreatic cancer, and both my brothers have prostate cancer,” he explains. “But that discovery has opened up new treatment options.”
Now on a new drug keeping his PSA levels down, Alan says he is “living on borrowed time”, but making every second count. “I know this disease is going to get me,” he says. “But I’ve lived long enough to walk my daughter down the aisle and hold my grandchildren. That means everything.”
Like Sir Chris, Alan has thrown himself into staying active, even taking part in the Tour de 4 cycling challenge founded by the Olympian. “I’ve been on a bike ride with Chris Hoy,” he says proudly. “It’s all about staying well enough for the next drug.”
That hope – that the next breakthrough is just around the corner – is what keeps both men going. “Chris has said he wants to stay alive long enough for new treatments. That’s exactly how I feel,” Alan says. “I lived long enough for one new drug. Maybe I’ll get another.”
Despite everything, he remains determined to use his story to help others, especially men, who might ignore the warning signs. Prostate Cancer UK has a 30 second online risk checker that he urges people to take.
“If sharing my story helps one bloke get diagnosed earlier, that’s what matters.” Alan spends his days staying active – playing golf, cycling, even singing weekly with a local group.
“You’ve got to spend your health as well as your wealth,” he says. “You never know what’s around the corner.” He also receives support from his wife Kate, 67, and his local community.
He has also seen the harsher reality of the disease, losing friends he met through support groups. “I’ve supported people who aren’t here anymore,” he admits. “And I know one day that’ll be me. That’s the hard part.”
For now, though, he is focused on the present and on creating memories that will last for his young grandchildren. “I want the youngest to remember me,” he says. “That’s what keeps me going.”
And while stage four cancer is often described as terminal, Alan is determined to challenge what that really means.
“People hear terminal and think it means you’re going to die tomorrow,” he says. “It doesn’t. It means you’re going to die at some point – but there are options to help extend your life.”
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