Bob Monkhouse was a British comedian and chat-show host. He died in 2003. As he put it: "I've died many deaths. Prostate cancer, I don't recommend”.

Before he died Monkhouse participated in a series of television and billboard advertisements designed to raise awareness of prostate cancer. The television advert carried a typical English music hall joke. "What killed me kills one man per hour in Britain. That's even more than my wife's cooking."

This week I caught a cab in London. It was driven by a man whose life was saved by Monkhouse. Having seen the adverts the cabbie went to his GP and was screened. He was found to be high risk, and several biopsies later the cancer was found. Surgery followed and, six months later, Monkhouse’s greatest fan went back to work.

Prevention. In action? Well early intervention actually, but heart warming all the same.