Veteran BBC radio host Bill Buckley has disclosed that he received treatment for prostate cancer. Having been a significant presence at the BBC since the 1980s, Buckley also shared the screen with Esther Ranzen on BBC TV’s “That’s Life” during the same decade. Recently, he revealed his participation in a clinical trial involving high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) for his treatment. In his words, “I’m among the very few people who have undergone this exceptional treatment… and it wouldn’t have been possible if my cancer had been detected later.”
Buckley emphasized the importance of regular check-ups, saying, “That crucial reminder that’s often repeated can’t be stressed enough—go for those regular checks.” His own cancer diagnosis came unexpectedly when a visit to the emergency room for leg pain unveiled “one of the largest blood clots, the biggest deep vein thromboses they had ever encountered.”
Initially, prescribed blood thinners provided Buckley some reassurance. He believed he was “out of the woods” until a nurse, during an appointment wrap-up, informed him of his prostate cancer diagnosis.
Reflecting on the moment, Buckley said, “The nurse was wonderful, and I hold no ill feelings towards her for delivering the news in that manner. She seemed to be under the impression I was already aware due to the previous tests. Suddenly, my world came crashing down once more.”
Continuing his narrative, the BBC personality shared, “I had never delved into prostate cancer research, and it’s crucial for everyone to remember that most men die with, rather than from, prostate cancer.”
“It very often just sits there, minds its own business for decades. You don’t even know you’ve got it.”
Buckley had regular check-ups over the next few months for doctors to monitor the cancer’s progression, but he was told the worrying news that it had grown larger and he needed treatment.
He underwent HIFU treatment in Wexham Park Hospital in Slough, something which he shared his gratitude for, saying he was “blessed” to be living in the right area to be considered, as he added: “I was born in the right age, even the right decade, because only a few years ago I would have had quite a few weeks or months of feeling pretty wretched”.