Former Scotland & Lions prop Peter Wright on prostate cancer battle

The hypnotherapist was right. Clarity on his condition helped stave off the anxiety.

He spoke to people who had gone, or were going through, prostate cancer treatment, his former team-mate Craig Chalmers chief among them.

“Craig was a couple of months ahead of me in his journey and he was waiting for his operation, so we had a lot of good conversations,” Wright says, “I’d come off the phone after speaking to Craig and I’d feel… pretty good.

“The fact that I’d managed to tell him stuff… that was when I started to think, ‘you know what, chatting about it is not a bad thing’. Talking does help.”

His surgery took place on 17 September and it was a success. His bloods are good. Every four months he’ll go for another test and then after a while it’ll be every six months. “So at the moment, I’m cancer free,” he said.

When Sir Chris Hoy announced the shocking news of his terminal prostate cancer, Wrighty said he “burst into tears” and said: “Here’s a guy as fit as a fiddle, a massive sporting hero of mine, a great athlete and only 48 years old.”

He is full of awe and support for the great Olympian and, like Hoy, he appeals again for early screening for men with a family history of prostate cancer while urging those even under the age of 50 to see their doctor.

He’s had a scare but he’s going to survive and prosper and will be behind the microphone for many years to come. “I’m one of the lucky ones,” he adds.

If you have been affected by any of the issues in this interview, you can contact BBC Actionline