Wolverhampton Man Saves Lives After Losing 3 Brothers to Cancer

When Simeon Greene told his brothers about his prostate cancer diagnosis, he uncovered a heartbreaking secret that would change his life's mission.

All three of his brothers had been quietly battling the same disease. They'd never mentioned it to each other, held back by a reluctance to talk about cancer that's all too common in their community.

The 60-year-old from Wolverhampton started digging into his family history and was stunned by what he found. As many as 54 relatives may have had prostate cancer, revealing a genetic pattern that had been hiding in plain sight.

Greene first noticed symptoms in 2015 at age 49, but wasn't diagnosed until the following year. Sadly, all three of his brothers lost their battles with the disease, making him the sole survivor among the four brothers.

Now he's turned that pain into purpose as a patient advocate for West Midlands Cancer Alliance. Greene campaigns tirelessly to spread one simple message: if you're a man over 40 with a family history of prostate cancer, ask your doctor about a PSA blood test, even without symptoms.

The stakes are especially high for black men. They're twice as likely to develop prostate cancer compared to other groups, with one in four affected. Black men are also more likely to be diagnosed at later stages when the disease is harder to treat.

The Ripple Effect

Greene's advocacy is part of a growing movement to break the silence around prostate cancer in black communities. More than 64,000 men are diagnosed with the disease every year in the UK, making it the most commonly diagnosed cancer. It kills more than 12,000 men annually.

The PSA blood test measures protein levels produced by the prostate gland and can help detect early signs of cancer. While there's no national screening programme, men can still be proactive and request the test from their GP.

Keith Morgan from Prostate Cancer UK emphasizes the urgency. "Too many black men are being diagnosed with incurable prostate cancer," he said. "We must act now to prevent more families from being affected."

Greene will share his story at a Prostate Cancer UK conference at Wolverhampton's Molineux Stadium this week. He wants men to know the test is simple and could be lifesaving.

His message is clear: the reluctance to talk about cancer cost him his brothers, but open conversation could save countless other families from the same heartbreak.