Chris Hughes has announced his brother is cancer-free, four months after he revealed his sibling had been diagnosed with testicular cancer.
The Love Island star, 26, took to Instagram to share a sweet snap of him and sibling Ben, 27, with the caption: ‘He’s cancer free baby.’
He was soon inundated with well-wishes from his celebrity friends, with fellow Love Islanders Gabby Allen and Kem Cetinay and reality star Mario Falcone sending love.
Wonderful news: Chris Hughes has announced his brother is cancer-free, four months after he revealed his sibling had been diagnosed with testicular cancer
The happy news comes less than four months after Ben shared an update on his condition and revealed that his cancer hadn’t spread.
Ben had a long week’s wait after undergoing a CT scan and having his bloods taken and has been recovering after his a testicle removed in late January.
Taking to Instagram, Ben thanked his followers for their support following what has no doubt been a very trying time.
Relief: The happy news comes less than four months after Ben shared an update on his condition and revealed that his cancer hadn’t spread
He said: ‘It’s been a very long couple of weeks!! But so MANY positives to be taken from it. My operation went really well and the surgeon was pleased with it!
‘The CT and bloods came back showing that the cancer hasn’t spread.
‘I’m just having a few weeks rest on the sofa being looked after by family and friends, watching a lot of day time tv!!!’
He continued: ‘Thank you everyone for all your support and messages it is what has kept me going reading them all!! I will keep fighting this horrible disease!!’
Brothers: The Love Island star’s sibling found out in January that he had testicular cancer after discovering a lump hours after Chris underwent a live examination on TV
Ben has been keeping his followers updated and revealed he was going into theatre to have his testicle removed at Cheltenham General Hospital.
Things appeared to have gone well, with Chris sharing videos of him resting on the sofa following the important procedure.
The former Love Island star’s sibling found out earlier this month that he had testicular cancer after discovering a lump hours after Chris underwent a live testicular examination on This Morning.
Ben took to his Instagram on Tuesday night to share a selfie of himself in bed, he captioned it with: ‘Big day tomorrow got to be at the hospital at 7:30!! That’s when the fight really starts!’
Candid: Ben had shared a candid update on Wednesday as he revealed he was going into theatre to have his testicle removed after his cancer diagnosis
He then continued to share updates on Wednesday, as he shared a Boomerang with his brother Chris, as he added: ‘Getting this done!’ as he checked himself in at Cheltenham General Hospital.
Ben then bravely shared a black-and-white video of himself just ten minutes before his theatre operation, he captioned it with: ‘Really bad case of hat hair!! What an outfit though…’
In the post, he revealed: ‘Just going into theatre, ten more minutes and we will be well away.
‘The next time I speak to you guys will be when I have woken up!’
Brave: Ben took to his Instagram on Tuesday night to share a selfie of himself in bed, he captioned it with: ‘Big day tomorrow got to be at the hospital at 7:30!!’
Chris also took to his Instagram to share a video of him with his brother in his hospital ward ahead of the operation.
He later shared a video of him and his family tucking into breakfast as they nervously await for Ben to come out of theatre.
Ben went on to share an update later on Wednesday, revealing that the surgery went well and that he was feeling a bit ‘croaky’.
Remaining positive: He then continued to share updates on Wednesday, as he shared a Boomerang with his brother Chris, he said: ‘Getting this done!’
Brave: Ben then bravely shared a black-and-white video of himself just ten minutes before his theatre operation as he shared details to his followers
After surgery: Ben went on to share an update later on Wednesday, revealing that the surgery went well and that he was feeling a bit ‘croaky’
There for one another: Ben revealed earlier this month on This Morning that he would be having his testicle removed on Wednesday
He told This Morning last week: ‘I’ve just got a nut-sized ball on my testicle. Quite large.
‘I had a CT scan and I haven’t picked the results as of yet, and I will then find out if the cancer has spread into any other parts of my body. Fingers crossed it hasn’t spread.
‘I’m booked in for my operation next Wednesday to remove the testicle, so I’m just wanting these CT scans to come back good and I can get this out.’
Helping: Dr Chris Steele was reminding viewers how to check for lumps with the use of a piece of fruit
What’s more, Ben has been told his sperm count was ‘very negative’ after he underwent some tests ahead of freezing his sperm.
He explained: ‘I did my first sperm banking the day before yesterday and my doctor rang me that evening and said, “I think you should know, the tests we did on your sperm weren’t great. Your semen sample came back with a very negative sperm count, if any at all.”
‘That pretty much means I’ve got no sperm present in my semen at that time.
‘They’re going to do another test tomorrow and hopefully with a bit of luck it shows up some results.’
Love: Chris shared this childhood picture of himself and his beloved brother on Instagram, writing; ‘A sad day. My brother was diagnosed with testicular cancer this lunchtime, in which we pray for a kind prognosis’
Ben also thanked his brother for doing the live examination on This Morning, which led to his diagnosis.
He said: ‘Within seven weeks of me checking myself to getting my diagnosis that I have got testicular cancer, it’s remarkable really.
‘He’s the one to thank in all of this. Because if he didn’t do it I would still be in the dark now.’
Speaking in a joint interview with Ben on This Morning, Chris said: ‘It’s all been a bit of a blur, It’s remarkable really.’
Lovely: Ben kindly thanked his followers for their kind words and support as he revealed doctors have revealed he has a negative sperm count, if any at all
Chris recently thanked the daytime TV show for allowing him to do the live TV examination.
He said: ‘I just want to thank This Morning for allowing me to come on the show to do the live testicular examination the other month.
‘It’s very important for me and we had a bit of sad news yesterday that my brother has been diagnosed with testicular cancer.
‘He popped into my room the day after he did the live examination saying he’d checked himself and he found a lump.’
Support: Chris previously urged TV viewers to check their testicles in an emotional video, hours after revealing his brother has been diagnosed with cancer
Thanks: He said: ‘With that I just want to urge everybody to get checked out, men all across the world ignore that. If you catch it an early stage it shouldn’t be an issue’
Inspirational: Hosts Holly Willoughby and Philip Schofield looked moved as Chris thanked the show for letting him do the examination live on air
Chris said: ‘He (Ben) popped into my room the day after I’d done the exam and he said he checked himself and found a lump.
‘So he went to the doctor and had the results yesterday and was told it was testicular cancer. Hopefully he’s found it at an early stage which is vital and it hasn’t spread.
‘With that I just want to urge everybody to get checked out, men all across the world ignore that. If you catch it an early stage it shouldn’t be an issue.
‘Fingers crossed for my brother, hopefully he recovers well. But thank you for allowing me to pop onto the show, and take care everybody.’
The TV appearance came after Chris shared the devastating news, accompanied by a shot of the pair as children, he wrote: ‘A sad day. My brother was diagnosed with testicular cancer this lunchtime, in which we pray for a kind prognosis.’
Devastated: Chris won praise after having a testicular check-up live on the show
The TV personality – one of five brothers – revealed Ben had originally discovered an unusual lump in his testicles the day after Chris had urged viewers to be examined for the disease during an appearance on This Morning in November.
He explained: ‘He came into my room at 3am the morning after my testicular examination on tv, clearly struggling to sleep, telling me he’d found a lump and asked me if he’s checking it right.
‘To which I told him, ‘Ben, it’s 3am, I’ll look in the morning, but if there’s a lump, go and check it checked tomorrow with the doctor’.
Hopeful: ‘A sad day. My brother was diagnosed with testicular cancer this lunchtime, in which we pray for a kind prognosis,’ Chris revealed alongside young images of himself and Ben
‘Today he sent me a message telling me the news, and thanking me for making him aware, else he’d never have known he had cancer.. That literally broke my heart.’
He added: ‘Testicular cancer is a silent killer, men need realise this and check themselves regularly. It takes 10 seconds. Please do it.’
Appearing on This Morning with Dr. Chris Steele in 2019, Chris was keen to raise awareness of testicular cancer and lowered his underwear so Steele, 76, could illustrate how an examination takes place.
Watch and learn: Appearing on This Morning with Dr. Chris Steele in 2018, Chris was keen to raise awareness of testicular cancer and and lowered his underwear so Steele, 76, could illustrate how an examination takes place
Opening up: The reality star revealed a long scar on his own testicle as he spoke about his own shock health scare during his appearance on the show in November
The reality star revealed a long scar on his own testicle as he spoke about his own shock health scare, telling hosts Phillip Schofield, 56, and Rochelle Humes, 29, about what his male relatives went through.
He said: ‘I was diagnosed with two separate conditions, I had operations but there was no long term damage.
‘I was around 14 and I noticed like a build up of veins and eventually got it looked at [six years later, aged 20] and they referred to hospitals and I ended up having three operations on my left testicle, and that was more down to safety with infertility, because the veins take oxygen.
‘My sperm count was quite low, I have had a hydrocele. I have had four operations on them.’
Anxiety: Chris previously said that he waited until he was 20 to see a doctor because he felt embarrassed, but he has since realised he needn’t have been
Chris previously said that he waited until he was 20 to see a doctor because he felt embarrassed, but he has since realised he needn’t have been.
He continued: ‘It surrounded my left side and I had keyhole [surgery] in my hip region but that didn’t work and I have a big scar across my pubic region where they’ve cut in and coiled the veins off in that area to hopefully settle them down slightly.’
Explaining how he froze his sperm at the same time, Chris said, ‘I did. My two brothers are completely infertile… although one brother does have a child now, it was a miracle child.
Worrying: Cancer Research UK figures show there are around 2,400 men are diagnosed with testicular cancer each year across the home nations
‘But my other brother, Will, does not have a sperm in his body. My count was quite low but I did get some frozen.
‘Altogether I’ve had four operations [on my testicles]. And my cousin had testicular cancer. It was secondary because he only discovered [he had a problem] after suffering with awful stomach cramps…’
Cancer Research UK figures show there are around 2,400 men are diagnosed with testicular cancer each year across the home nations.
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