I AM writing to you with a personal plea to help save lives.

June is The Cancer Research Campaign's Men's Cancer Awareness Month and the charity is particularly focusing on prostate cancer, the second most common cancer in men in the UK.

This disease claims the lives of nearly 10,000 British men every year and, as with most forms of cancer, early diagnosis is crucial for the best chance of survival.

I should know.

I was diagnosed with prostate cancer myself after going to see my GP because I was experiencing abdominal pain.

It's two years since my diagnosis and I'm still undergoing treatment.

You can help yourself and your family by being aware of the early warning signs.

There are: difficulty in passing water or going to the toilet more frequently than usual, pain or blood in the urine or back or hip pain.

Of course, these symptoms can also be due to other causes, but if you have any I'd urge you to be checked by your doctor as soon as possible.

The Cancer Research Campaign has produced a new leaflet about prostate cancer and how to spot the early signs.

If you would like a free copy, please send an SAE marked "Prostate Leaflet" to: The Cancer Research Campaign, Communications and Information Department, 10 Cambridge Terrace, London NW1 4JL.

And if you have also been diagnosed with prostate cancer and, like me, you want to help raise awareness by telling your story, please write to Caroline Thomas at The Cancer Research Campaign at the above address or call 0800 226 237.

Sir Harry Secombe CBE