James Whale has been diagnosed with cancer of the brain, spine, kidney, and lungs.
The legendary radio broadcaster revealed on Sunday (16.08.20) he is fighting cancer in four major parts of his body, 20 years after having one of his kidneys removed because of a tumour.
James said: "This little b****** has spread. It’s in my remaining kidney. I’ve got a couple of small lesions in my lungs. I’ve got it in my spine. I’ve got it in my brain."
The 69-year-old broadcasting pioneer – who also lost his beloved wife, Melinda, to lung cancer two years ago – received his devastating diagnosis two weeks ago, and has vowed to fight the disease so he can return to his radio show.
James was prompted to see a doctor when he began to forget names on air whilst presenting his nightly talkRADIO show, and after blood tests showed he had low sodium levels, he was referred to a haematologist, who delivered the sad news.
Recalling his diagnosis, he said: "The woman looked worried and she said ‘I’m so sorry. I’ve got really, really bad news for you. I’m afraid 20 years ago you had kidney cancer. Well, it looks like it’s probably come back. You’ve got a tumour on your kidney.’
"And I thought, ‘OK, well, 20 years later I’ll have to do all over again.’ And then she said, ‘I’m sorry. Sadly it’s spread. You’ve got small lesions in your brain and your lung, in your spine, in your pituitary gland.’"
James admitted his first reaction was to consider euthanasia, and even planned a trip to Dignitas – the Swiss non-profit which provides help with assisted suicide.
He added: "I came home, had a little think about things. I decided I’m just booking myself a trip to Dignitas. You might as well just go and get it over with.
"I’d looked into it quite some time ago because Melinda died two years ago and it’s been something in the back of my mind."
But the broadcaster was convinced by his son, also named James, to seek help from the charity Kidney Cancer UK, which he set up after his first battle with the disease in 2000.
The charity helped him find a doctor who would treat his cancer, and is now on immunotherapy and hormone replacement treatment, which he’s hoping will eventually make his tumours "disappear".
He explained: "I haven’t got a proper prognosis yet because it’s very early days, but this immunotherapy is a very new way of treating cancer – it gets the immune system to attack the tumours.
"I’m probably going to be on tablets for the rest of my life but I’ve gone from being like a little shrunken, old man in the chair who’s not eating and could hardly walk up the stairs, to where I can run upstairs.
"The pills should shrink the tumours until they hopefully disappear.
"It doesn’t work for everybody, but some people have been on their deathbeds then given this treatment and a couple of days later they’re up digging their gardens. I’m pretty sure I will be back on air very, very soon."
Despite considering taking his own life, James now insists he has "no intention of dying" just yet, and is confident he’ll make it to 80.
Speaking to The Sun newspaper, he said: "Have no doubt, it’s a shock and you’ll sit in a corner on your own and you’ll cry. I do quite a bit now on my own. But I have no intention of dying right at this particular moment. I’ve got a few more programmes in me that I need to do, including more TV.
"I am pretty strong. I’m determined not to allow this to really undermine me. I’m coming up to being the oldest working man on British radio and I have continually been on air since I was 24.
"Next year I’m 70, so if I live another ten years, I’d be quite happy."