NHS to review prostate cancer testing after Chris Hoy call for change

The NHS volition reappraisal whether to alteration its proposal connected investigating for prostate crab successful airy of Sir Chris Hoy's "powerful" telephone for much younger men to beryllium checked, the wellness caput has said.

Olympic cycling champion Sir Chris, 48, has precocious crab that has dispersed to his bones and is terminal.

In his archetypal TV interrogation since announcing his condition, Sir Chris told BBC Breakfast however radical with a beardown household past should see seeing their GP for PSA (prostate-specific antigen) humor trial to assistance spot the disease.

PSA tests are not routinely offered to men nether 50 without symptoms but who whitethorn beryllium astatine risk. Doctors are alternatively told to usage their judgement.

Sir Chris told BBC Breakfast: "To maine it seems a no-brainer. Why would they not trim the age? Bring the property down and let much men to spell successful and get a humor test."

NHS guidelines for England accidental anyone tin petition a PSA trial if they are implicit the property of 50.

And men of immoderate property who person symptoms tin besides inquire for one.

But regular PSA investigating oregon screening is not offered connected the NHS, due to the fact that experts accidental the trial is not close capable connected it's ain to regularisation successful oregon retired crab reliably. Doctors are looking astatine whether adding successful MRI scans to PSA tests mightiness amended the situation.

Health Secretary Wes Streeting told the BBC that Sir Chris makes a almighty argument. "That's wherefore I've asked the NHS to look astatine the lawsuit for lowering the age."

"It's evidently got to beryllium evidence-led, clinically-led decisions," helium said.

The foundation Prostate Cancer UK backs the call, saying doing much checks could perchance prevention thousands of lives each year.

Spokeswoman Chiara De Biase said: "One successful 8 men volition get prostate cancer, but there's presently nary screening programme for the disease.

"If your dada oregon member has had prostate cancer, oregon you're black, you person the highest hazard of getting the disease, and we powerfully urge you speech to your GP astir investigating from 45.

"Right now, you request to beryllium alert of this and bring it up with a GP yourself. As prostate crab often has nary symptoms successful its earlier stages this is starring to excessively galore men getting a late, incurable diagnosis - similar Sir Chris."

Sir Chris spoke of the "absolute daze and horror" helium felt astatine his archetypal diagnosis.

The quality that helium had a terminal illness, successful September 2023, came "completely retired the blue".

"No symptoms, nary warnings, nothing. All I had was a symptom successful my enarthrosis and a small spot of symptom successful my ribs."

And helium spoke of the "nightmare" of learning woman Sarra had aggregate sclerosis, and having to interruption the quality to their 2 young children.

"We conscionable tried to beryllium affirmative and tried to accidental 'Do you cognize what? This is what we're doing and you tin assistance due to the fact that erstwhile I'm not feeling well, you tin travel and springiness maine cuddles, you tin beryllium supportive, you tin beryllium happy, you tin beryllium benignant to each other'."

He said helium was grateful for the outpouring of enactment they had received and that helium was focusing connected the positives and the bully helium hopes tin travel from it.

His quality prompted a adjacent eight-fold summation successful NHS searches for prostate crab symptoms implicit the pursuing days.

"It's been the toughest twelvemonth of our lives truthful acold by immoderate stretch," helium told the BBC.

"Maybe radical seeing this oregon proceeding astir my communicative - conscionable by them asking their GP - volition make capable of a surge of involvement that radical that marque the decisions volition spell 'you cognize what, we request to code this'. And successful the agelong word this volition prevention perchance millions of lives."

He added: "I cognize what the extremity effect volition be. Nobody lives forever. Our clip connected this satellite is finite. Don't discarded your clip worrying astir worldly that isn't that important. Focus connected the things that are.

"My position connected beingness has changed massively. I americium much thankful, I'm much grateful for each day. It's been a pugnacious twelvemonth and it's going to beryllium pugnacious up successful the aboriginal excessively but for now, close present close now, we're doing beauteous well."

The NHS advises men to talk to a doc if they deliberation they are higher hazard of prostate cancer. A man's hazard of this crab increases with age.

Cancer Research UK says the grounds truthful acold suggests that routinely screening radical utilizing PSA would not greatly assistance forestall deaths and mightiness alternatively pb to men having unnecessary attraction that could origin undue accent and imaginable broadside effects.

PSA is not diagnostic. A raised PSA level does not needfully mean determination is cancer. It tin beryllium elevated with different conditions too, specified arsenic inflammation.

The afloat interrogation - Sir Chris Hoy: Finding Hope - volition beryllium shown connected BBC One astatine 20:00 GMT connected Tuesday, 5 November and volition past beryllium disposable to ticker on BBC iPlayer. You tin besides perceive successful afloat connected BBC Sounds.