Manchester rapper Prose, real name Mike Murray, has announced he has been diagnosed with stage 2 bowel cancer, following doctors' discovery of a 7cm tumour in his bowel. He shared the news on TikTok, hoping his experience will encourage others with similar symptoms to seek medical advice.
Diagnosis and Symptoms
Prose, who emerged onto the music scene a decade ago and has worked with artists including Emeli Sandé, Professor Green, JP Cooper, and Kyle Falconer, explained he first noticed something was wrong in August when he had difficulty going to the toilet. "I wasn't taking it very seriously," he said. "I didn't think it'd be what it was."
He received medication but his stomach pain worsened. "It just kept on getting worse and worse," he said. "I went to the hospital, they gave me an enema that kind of worked, but I knew I hadn't got rid of the problem." He was given laxatives, but the issue continued, and he felt "really not okay".
Hospital Admission and Treatment Plan
After about six weeks of "back and forth" visits to A&E, doctors, and pharmacists, Prose had an overnight hospital stay and a CT scan, which revealed a blockage in his bowel. A scheduled colonoscopy was postponed because the preparation "didn't work", and he insisted on being admitted rather than sent home.
He stayed in hospital for a fortnight and was told he had stage 2 bowel cancer, with cells "acting aggressively and unpredictable". He requires "aggressive" chemotherapy and radiotherapy at The Christie, but first needs a stoma fitted, which must heal before treatment begins. "So now I'm kind of in this limbo bit where I'm just waiting for my Christie's appointment," he said.
Advice and Background
Prose urged anyone with similar symptoms to get checked, noting the condition "is on the rise in under-40s". He said, "The earlier you catch it, the f****** better."
Prose launched in 2016 with the album Home of the Brave and has nearly 20,000 monthly listeners on Spotify. His profile notes he has created tracks for Oktagon MMA and the UFC, performed in front of 70,000 fans, and produced entrance music for Paddy 'The Baddy' Pimblett and Islam Makhachev.
The NHS lists bowel cancer symptoms including changes in poo, needing to poo more or less often, blood in poo, tummy pain, bloating, and losing weight without trying.
