The first symptoms were pain while exercising and some lumps in his lymph nodes, Taylor explained in a new interview with People. "The first thing I thought of was, when was the last time I had a PSA test?'"
The PSA, or prostate-specific antigen test screens for prostate cancer.
DURAN DURAN GUITARIST ANDY TAYLOR REVEALS STAGE 4 PROSTATE CANCER DIAGNOSIS
Andy Taylor was diagnosed with cancer in 2018. (Debbie Hickey)
"My father passed away because of prostate. So there was the family history. So I thought this could be, and sure enough," Taylor told the outlet.
"As harsh as it is, it's a death sentence. So you sort of walk out of the hospital in a stunned silence because you could never be prepared for ... You've got to start from the fact that it's a slow burn, so it's not going to take you quickly."
Despite getting the diagnosis in 2018, he kept the news a secret from his bandmates and the general public until last year when Duran Duran was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.
"In a way, it ended up becoming a massive relief because talking about it publicly, when you've been living with something for so long, every conversation you have with people, you're acting," he said.
"If I could get a genie out of a bottle and make one wish, it's that nobody ever has to go through what I went through."
Andy Taylor was not well enough to make it to Duran Duran's induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. (Emma McIntyre/Getty Images for The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame)
Taylor has been well enough to continue working on new music, and this spring he's set to release a solo album.
He said he's "trying to stay alive and live a life, which I am absolutely not giving up on. … Music's never had a greater value to me. One of the things that I learned early was, if you keep your mind active and you're there and physically active, it really does [make a difference]. You're carrying this grim reaper of a weight."
L-R: Roger Taylor, Andy Taylor, John Taylor, Simon Le Bon and Nick Rhodes posed for a group shot in 1981. (Peter Noble/Redferns)
During Duran Duran's Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction, the band read a letter from Taylor, who was too ill to make it to the ceremony.
"Just over four years ago, I was diagnosed with stage 4 metastatic prostate cancer," he wrote in that letter. "Many families have experienced the slow burn of this disease and, of course, we are no different. … I'm overjoyed at accepting this award. I often doubted the day would come. I'm sure as hell glad I'm around to see the day."