Former Prime Minister Lord David Cameron has opened up about his private fight with prostate cancer. Thanks to his wife’s nudge, he booked a routine health check where a PSA test showed “worryingly high” levels, leading to a diagnosis.
Shock Diagnosis After Routine Check
Lord Cameron told The Times about the harrowing moment he learned he had cancer. “You have an MRI scan with a few black marks on it. You think, ‘Ah, that’s probably OK.’ But when the biopsy comes back, and it says you have got prostate cancer,” he said.
“You always dread hearing those words. And then literally as they’re coming out of the doctor’s mouth, you’re thinking, ‘Oh, no, he’s going to say it.’ Then came the next decision. Do you get treatment? Or do you watch and wait?”
Screening Saves Lives – Lord Cameron Urges Action
Choosing focal therapy, Lord Cameron’s treatment worked. A follow-up MRI showed he is now officially cancer-free. He’s using his story to push for a targeted screening programme.
“I want to, as it were, come out. I want to add my name to the long list of people calling for a targeted screening programme,” he said.
NHS Set to Decide on Prostate Cancer Screening
The Government’s National Screening Committee (NSC) will soon decide on launching the UK’s first national prostate cancer screening scheme. Experts believe such a programme could catch thousands of cases early and save lives.
Screening would likely start with men at highest risk, including those with a family history or certain genetic markers. Prostate cancer is the UK’s most common male cancer, with 63,000 diagnoses and 12,000 deaths annually.
Men, don’t wait. Get tested. Check your risk in 30 seconds with Prostate Cancer UK.
