HE went out running every day and was preparing to take on the Great South Run ahead of his 70th birthday.

But despite being in great shape, Southampton resident, Mario Spacagna, was soon diagnosed with kidney cancer after spotting blood in his urine.

Now Mario is urging men across the city to take early action if they notice possible signs of kidney or bladder cancer, like blood in urine.

Mario, 71, was diagnosed in August 2013 after raising the problem with his doctor at Brook House Surgery in Oakley Road, Southampton.

He said: “I had been having blood in my urine for a number of years and there was one occasion where it was really quite bad, so I went to the doctor and he sent me to the hospital for a scan. It’s a good job he did because they found the cancer.

"If I hadn’t gone to the doctor there’s a good chance I wouldn’t have known until it was too late.

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“I take care of myself, I still go running and I was hoping to take part in the Great South Run last year so it just goes to show it can happen to anyone no matter what shape they are in.

It comes as Public Health England launched a campaign to highlight the dangers of kidney and bladder cancer and the need for early diagnosis – teaming up with Saints to highlight the issue through special posters at St Mary’s Stadium.

Mario added: “It does frighten you when you see blood in your pee, but you can’t be embarrassed; you have to talk about it. I’ve come out of this OK, I’ll never get the all clear, but as long as I go for regular check-ups they can keep an eye on it.

“If you find blood in your urine or stools you have to get it checked out; it’s a point that has to be hammered home.”

Mario, a retired hairdresser and taxi driver, was presented with a series of options and went for the most complex, but also the most rewarding.

He said: “They offered to totally remove my kidney, give me injections to freeze the tumour or a complex operation where they would remove part of my kidney and stick it back together with a form of superglue, and I went for the latter.”

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The six-and-a-half-hour operation in October 2013 was a success and so far, Mario has adjusted well to the change, although he is aware he will never be out of the woods.

Father-of-three Mario from Shirley, added: “It is amazing how you can survive quite happily with one-and-a-third kidneys. I don’t even notice it; it’s outstanding that they are able to do that.

“The biggest thing on my mind afterwards was the disappointment of not being able to compete in the Great South Run. It’s funny how the mind works. But it was lucky I was so fit because otherwise they would not have let me have the operation.”

Mario, whose father Ernie was Southampton’s oldest Second World War veteran until his death earlier this year aged 99, said his main concern for others in his predicament is availability of GP appointments due to a shortage across the country.

He said: “I used to live a few minutes away from a GP in Fareham and I always struggled to get an appointment. It was not until I came back to Shirley and re-registered here that I found I could get appointments regularly.

“It’s the same old story. It should not matter where you live, it ought to be the same for everyone and something needs to be done to make it easier.”