Senior cancer nurse diagnosed with stage four prostate cancer after dismissing back pain

A senior cancer nurse in Essex was diagnosed with stage four prostate cancer after attributing fatigue, urinary problems and back pain to tiredness and cycling injuries.

Matt Riddleston, 59, who has worked in cancer nursing for 32 years, noticed increasing tiredness in early 2022 and experienced back pain while cycling. He initially put the symptoms down to the extra hours and pressures of working through the Covid-19 pandemic and to niggling injuries picked up while exercising. In April 2022, after developing urinary symptoms, he consulted his general practitioner. The GP found a hard, irregular prostate and referred him for a prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test and further investigation, which led to a diagnosis of stage four prostate cancer.

Riddleston, who lives in Chelmsford with his wife, Kate, 55, and is father to three daughters, said the diagnosis was a shock. "Nurses, healthcare professionals, we think we're immune to everything that we treat our patients for, so I didn't even think of cancer at first," he said. He described the news as unexpected despite his professional familiarity with cancer symptoms.

Medical practitioners say prostate cancer can present with a range of symptoms, including urinary changes and pelvic or back pain; when cancer spreads to bone it can cause persistent or worsening backache. Stage four indicates that cancer has spread beyond the prostate to other parts of the body. Clinicians typically use PSA testing, physical examination and imaging studies to establish diagnosis and stage.

Riddleston's case highlights the challenge of recognising cancer when symptoms are nonspecific or can be attributed to common causes such as ageing, fatigue or musculoskeletal injuries. Health services advise that men presenting with urinary symptoms, unexplained fatigue or persistent pain seek assessment from a GP to determine whether further tests are needed.

Riddleston has not publicly detailed his treatment plan. He said the diagnosis underscored the importance of not dismissing symptoms and offered a reminder that anyone, including health professionals, can be affected by disease.

Prostate cancer is among the most commonly diagnosed cancers in men. Early detection can broaden treatment options and influence outcomes, while later-stage diagnoses often require more complex management. Riddleston's experience has prompted renewed attention to symptom awareness among men and to the need for timely medical assessment when new or persistent symptoms arise.