Former PM David Cameron reveals he had prostate cancer
Former Prime Minister David Cameron announced that he was treated for prostate cancer.
Lord Cameron, 59, told the Times newspaper that his wife, Samantha, insisted he go for a post-treatment check-up. Inspired by BBC radio interview with entrepreneur Nick JonesHe was campaigning for more men to be tested after his diagnosis.
He had a prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test earlier this year, followed by an MRI scan and a biopsy that confirmed the diagnosis. He was treated with focal therapy, which targets the area where the tumor is located, using methods such as ultrasound waves to destroy cancer cells.
Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men in the UK, with around 55,000 new cases each year.
Lord Cameron told the newspaper he wanted to use his platform to support an appeal by Prostate Cancer Research, a charity that has signed up Mr Jones, founder of private members’ club chain Soho House, as a trustee for screening to be offered to high-risk men.
Cancer is most common in older ages, that is, in men over the age of 75. Cases under the age of 50 are rare. It is also more common in black men.
Lord Cameron said: “I don’t particularly like discussing my personal health problems but I think I should do this.”
“Let’s be honest. Men aren’t very good at talking about their health. We tend to procrastinate.”
But she said: “So I thought, this is happening to you and you should call it out.”
Lord Cameron was prime minister from 2010 to 2016 and later foreign secretary in Rishi Sunak’s government. he told the Times: “I would feel bad if I didn’t come forward and say I had this experience. I had a scan. It helped me discover something was wrong. It gave me a chance to deal with it.”
There is currently no screening program for prostate cancer in the UK due to concerns about the accuracy of PSA tests.
But the peer’s intervention came days after a major prostate cancer screening trial began in the country. It aims to find the best way to detect the disease.
About one in eight men will develop prostate cancer in their lifetimeAccording to Prostate Cancer UK, research shows the disease has overtaken breast cancer as the most commonly diagnosed type of disease in the UK.
