Sir Rod Stewart has revealed he has beaten prostate cancer after secretly battling it for three years before being given the all clear.

The Maggie May singer, 74, was diagnosed in 2016 but said the disease was caught in the early stages during a routine checkup.

Rod revealed his plight during a fundraising evening with former Faces bandmates Kenney Jones and Ronnie Wood, The Mirror reports.

Cancer free: Sir Rod Stewart has revealed he has beaten prostate cancer after secretly battling it for three years before being given the all clear

All clear: The Maggie May singer, 74, was diagnosed in 2016 but said the disease was caught in the early stages during a routine checkup

WHAT IS PROSTATE CANCER? Prostate cancer is the growth of tumours in the prostate gland. Only men have a prostate, which is a walnut-sized gland between the rectum and the penis which creates a fluid to be mixed with sperm to create semen. How many people does it kill? More than 11,800 men a year - or one every 45 minutes - are now killed by prostate cancer 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 each year. 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 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 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 foolproof. 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. Advertisement

'Two years ago I was ­diagnosed with prostate cancer,' He said.

Sir Rod added: 'No one knows this, but I thought this was about time I told everybody. I'm in the clear, now, simply because I caught it early. I have so many tests.'

Prostate cancer is the growth of tumours in the prostate gland.

Only men have a prostate, which is a walnut-sized gland between the rectum and the penis which creates a fluid to be mixed with sperm to create semen.

Rod, who previously had a cancerous growth removed from his thyroid, urged the audience to 'go to the doctor', telling them he tried to 'keep a smile on his face' throughout the ordeal.

He said: 'If you're positive, and you work through it and you keep a smile on your face… I've worked for two years and I've just been happy, and the good Lord looked after me.'

MailOnline has contacted Rod Stewart's representatives for comment.

In 2000, Rod revealed that he feared losing his singing voice after doctors removed a cancerous growth from his thyroid gland.

The singer was operated on at Los Angeles' Cedars-Sinai Hospital and told his voice would return within six months.

But the star, who has since vowed to help raise millions for a cancer charity, had to wait considerably longer before he could sing again.

Rod is married to Loose Women panellist Penny Lancaster, 48, and the couple share two sons, Alastair, 13, and Aiden, eight.

The singer also has Sarah Streeter, Kimberly Stewart, Sean Stewart, Ruby Stewart, Renée Stewart and Liam Stewart from previous relationships.

Penny recently has confessed that she contemplates losing her husband due to their 26-year age gap.

Speaking on Loose Women, the model discussed how she thinks about her life when she's his age and how the rocker - who would then be 100 - may be gone.

She said: 'Rod’s in his 70s and we have a huge family base at home. My life is based on the family.

'On occasion I think, when I’m Rod’s age, I won’t have my husband and the children will be grown up and gone and I have to prepare.'

Penny was feeling emotional as she discussed her husband and how they deal with their age gap, as she must face what her life will be like in the segment entitled: 'Do you fear growing old alone?'

Tough time: Prostate cancer affects between 40,000 and 50,000 men in the UK each year and scientists say they may have found a way to prolong survival in those who have an incurable form of the disease (stock image of prostate cancer cells)

Meanwhile, it emerged last month, that a prostate cancer drug could offer hope to thousands of men with an incurable form of the disease after it succeeded in a clinical trial.

The medication Lynparza has hit its target of prolonging the lives of men with cancer which survived normal treatment.

Its developers say the drug is the only one to have worked in a field where 'the need for new effective therapies is high'.

Lynparza works by destroying the damaged DNA of cancer cells and killing them, and has already been approved around the world for treating ovarian cancer.

Lynparza – the branded name of the drug olaparib – is being compared with two testosterone-blocking medications currently used by the NHS – abiraterone and enzalutamide.

Those drugs work by lowering levels of testosterone, the male sex hormone, which many prostate tumours thrive off.

Lynparza works differently by targeting damaged DNA to kill tumours and is meant for men whose cancers have continued to grow and spread even when their testosterone levels are medically reduced.