A man with a rare “one-in-a-million” type of cancer has spoken out about the importance of trying to catch the disease early when he and his fiancee embark on a charity walk this weekend.

Italian-born Nico de Santis, from Wimbledon, had diagnosed pseudomyxoma peritonei, a rare cancer that starts in the appendix and spreads into the abdominal cavity in 2009.

After successful surgery and chemotherapy, he proposed to his girlfriend Victoria in 2011, before the potentially deadly cancer came back and he is still facing further tests.

He said: “It’s very important that young people don’t think they are immune to cancer – it is not just a disease of old age.

“Noone knows your body better than you so it’s vital that you watch closely for changes and if you feel there is something wrong, you seek expert help.”

This weekend the couple will take part in a Cancer Research UK’s night time walking marathon, Shine, which starts on the south side of the Thames at Battersea Power Station on Saturday, September 29.

For more information visit shinewalk.org.

Are you doing something amazing for charity? Call us on 020 8722 6333, tweet @WimbledonNews or email: newsdesk@wimbledonguardian.co.uk.