'Don’t ignore the signs' - Stockport dad urges others to act on early cancer symptoms after life-saving diagnosis

A Stockport dad is urging people not to ignore signs of cancer after his own early diagnosis and successful treatment for bladder cancer last year.

Stuart Ingram, an NHS research manager, underwent surgery last autumn to remove the tumour along with part of the surrounding bladder lining.

The father-of-two, 51, says a simple decision to visit his GP after noticing blood in his urine saved his life.

He said: “I noticed blood in my pee – it was the colour of rosé wine. It happened twice, and I knew something wasn’t right.”

After ruling out a urinary tract infection, Stuart’s GP quickly referred him to Stepping Hill Hospital in Stockport for further tests. An ultrasound revealed a lesion on his bladder, and a follow-up cystoscopy, which is a procedure involving a small camera, showed the presence of a 4cm tumour.

Thankfully, the cancer was caught at Stage 1, the earliest possible stage, and Stuart is now doing well and is cancer-free. He’s now undergoing an 18-month course of immunotherapy to help prevent the cancer from returning.

Stuart said: “I’m back at work and I fit the immunotherapy treatment around my job. It varies for everyone, but I don’t find it painful – just a bit tiring afterwards.

“The team at Stepping Hill has been amazing throughout. There’s always someone to explain what’s happening and answer any questions.”

Stuart is now speaking out to encourage others to seek help early if they notice unusual symptoms – particularly blood in their urine.

“If I hadn’t gone to the doctor, it could have been a very different story,” he said. “If you get any blood in your wee you should definitely see your doctor straight away.

“Your GP will take it seriously, and you should too. Don’t put it off, and don’t think