he Dark Knight star Colin McFarlane has revealed that he has been identified with prostate most cancers.

The 61-year-old actor – additionally identified for his roles in BBC science fiction collection Doctor Who and historic time journey present Outlander in addition to being the voice of The Cube on the sport present – mentioned he found his situation 9 months on from his brother’s personal prostate most cancers prognosis.

McFarlane mentioned they each found their sickness because of a prostate-specific antigen (PSA) check, which may be given to males with out signs after a session with a physician.

He mentioned after a fellow actor, who was being handled for prostate most cancers 17 years in the past, informed him in regards to the illness’s prevalence amongst black males, he has been repeatedly examined.

McFarlane mentioned: “I was already aware of the risk to me, so had been having annual and then six-monthly regular PSA blood tests with my GP.

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“Thankfully, just over a year ago, I had told my brother to get a PSA blood test otherwise he wouldn’t have been diagnosed, because he had no symptoms.”

He added that he's “one of the lucky ones” as he has been “able to catch this very early”.

McFarlane added: “So, although I have been diagnosed with prostate cancer, I do not require any treatment.

“I am being regularly monitored with PSA blood tests every three months and an MRI (or magnetic resonance imaging scan) once a year.”

The prognosis on December 20 additionally coincided along with his mom Gwendolyn’s birthday. She died earlier this 12 months on the age of 94.

McFarlane additionally mentioned: “As it’s a very slow-moving cancer I am in the best possible position to ascertain what treatment I would need in the future if that were ever deemed necessary, and currently that scenario is a long way off.

“It’s men who take no action and don’t know anything about their prostate health that are at the greatest risk.”

McFarlane mentioned because of this he's backing Prostate Cancer UK’s newest marketing campaign to encourage males over 50 and black males like him over 45 to get a PSA check.

According to the charity, black males are at double the chance of getting the illness as one in 4 will get it of their lifetime in comparison with the speed being one in eight amongst different males.

McFarlane added: “Too many men black men are dying from prostate cancer. They need to know that a simple blood test could save their life.”

Born in Hackney, London, to Jamaican dad and mom – who arrived within the UK within the mid-Fifties as a part of the Windrush technology – McFarlane graduated from Loughborough University in 1983 after learning drama.

He has since gone on to look as Gotham City police commissioner Gillian B Loeb within the Christopher Nolan-direct Batman Begins and The Dark Knight alongside Christian Bale and Sir Michael Caine.

McFarlane, who has additionally starred in comedy exhibits corresponding to The Fast Show and Toast Of Tinseltown alongside dramas like Death In Paradise and Industry, has additionally leant his voice to the kids’s cartoons Peppa Pig, Thomas & Friends, Fireman Sam and Supertato.

As a stage actor, which has seen him share the boards with Tom Hardy, Michael Sheen, and Sir Lenny Henry, he received a Time Out award as finest actor for the Nigerian play Two Horsemen.

McFarlane mentioned: “I always wanted to change the dialogue with not just black men, but black people.

“We can achieve great things, do the top things. So, playing doctors and lawyers and not just drug dealers and pimps like the old days. I wanted to break that stereotype.”

Prostate Cancer UK encourages black males to search out out extra about their danger of the illness at prostatecanceruk.org/riskcheck.