Linda Nolan’s grieving brother Brian reveals most cancers analysis simply weeks after her demise

On Mar 22, 2025

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Published: 07:35, 22 March 2025 | Updated: 07:45, 22 March 2025

Linda Nolan‘s brother Brian has revealed he has been diagnosed with cancer just weeks after the TV star’s death.

Linda tragically passed away on January 15 2025 aged 65 following a 20-year breast cancer battle and suffering from double pneumonia.

Just three days after her death, grieving Brian, 69, was devastatingly diagnosed with stage two prostate cancer.

The Nolan siblings also lost Bernie to breast cancer in 2013 while Anne, 74, was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2000 and Coleen, 60, was told she had skin cancer in 2023.

‘I just want cancer to leave us alone,’ Brian, the fifth of the eight Nolan siblings, heartbreakingly told The Mirror.

Brian described his diagnosis as ‘like being hit by a train’ and said he thought the worst when he was first diagnosed.

Linda Nolan’s brother Brian (pictured in March) has revealed he has been diagnosed with cancer just weeks after the TV star’s death

Linda (pictured in April 2022) tragically passed away on January 15 2025 aged 65 following a 20-year breast cancer battle and suffering from double pneumonia

‘You start plunging into the abyss of: ”I’m going to die”,’ he admitted.

‘The urologist stood up and said ”We’re going to treat this and we’re going to cure this”, I’m focusing on that and hope to God I can have the courage my sisters had.’

The cancer has thankfully not spread and Brian will undergo surgery to remove his prostate gland.

Brian decided to keep his cancer fears quiet from his siblings as they were already devastated by Linda’s deteriorating condition before her death in January.

‘I thought I was doing the right thing and I still do, it would have meant more tears and we were already knee-deep in tears and knee-deep in grief,’ he added.

Despite his own struggles, he spent 28 hours sitting by Linda’s bedside in her final days

His sister, Loose Women panelist Coleen, admitted she was lost for words after Brian told her of his shock diagnosis and went ‘completely numb’ and wanted to ‘scream’.

However, she also shared her pride at her brother’s strength and said they will face the challenge as a family.

Brian first went to the doctors in November after noticing he needed the toilet more, leading to doctors giving him PSA tests – which use blood to screen for prostate cancer.

He then had an MRI scan just after Christmas and a biopsy in the New Year before he was diagnosed with prostate cancer following Linda’s death.

Brian is being supported by his wife Ann and has decided to speak out about his diagnosis to raise more awareness about prostate cancer and its symptoms.

WHAT IS PROSTATE CANCER?

How many people does it kill?

More than 11,800 men a year – or one every 45 minutes – are killed by the disease in Britain, compared with about 11,400 women dying of breast cancer.

It means prostate cancer is behind only lung and bowel in terms of how many people it kills in Britain.

In the US, the disease kills 26,000 men each year.

Despite this, it receives less than half the research funding of breast cancer and treatments for the disease are trailing at least a decade behind.

How many men are diagnosed annually?

Every year, upwards of 52,300 men are diagnosed with prostate cancer in the UK – more than 140 every day.

How quickly does it develop?

Prostate cancer usually develops slowly, so there may be no signs someone has it for many years, according to the NHS.

If the cancer is at an early stage and not causing symptoms, a policy of ‘watchful waiting’ or ‘active surveillance’ may be adopted.

Some patients can be cured if the disease is treated in the early stages.

But if it is diagnosed at a later stage, when it has spread, then it becomes terminal and treatment revolves around relieving symptoms.

Thousands of men are put off seeking a diagnosis because of the known side effects from treatment, including erectile dysfunction.

Tests and treatment

Tests for prostate cancer are haphazard, with accurate tools only just beginning to emerge.

There is no national prostate screening programme as for years the tests have been too inaccurate.

Doctors struggle to distinguish between aggressive and less serious tumours, making it hard to decide on treatment.

Men over 50 are eligible for a ‘PSA’ blood test which gives doctors a rough idea of whether a patient is at risk.

But it is unreliable. Patients who get a positive result are usually given a biopsy which is also not fool-proof.

Scientists are unsure as to what causes prostate cancer, but age, obesity and a lack of exercise are known risks.

Anyone with any concerns can speak to Prostate Cancer UK’s specialist nurses on 0800 074 8383 or visit prostatecanceruk.org