Sir Chris Hoy's cancer diagnosis has helped to save over 1,000 lives

Edinburgh Live

2 days ago

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Edinburgh cycling legend Sir Chris Hoy has been credited with saving over 1,000 lives following his courageous decision to go public with his terminal prostate cancer diagnosis last October.
The six-time Olympic champion, aged 49, stunned fans worldwide when he disclosed his battle with stage 4 prostate cancer. His announcement came shortly after his wife, Sarra, aged 45, was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis.
Following his diagnosis, Hoy, collaborated with Prostate Cancer UK to launch an online 30-second 'risk checker' questionnaire. Since its inception, a staggering 180,000 men have utilised the service, leading to more than 1,000 individuals being diagnosed with prostate cancer through PSA (prostate-specific antigen) testing.
"So that campaign has saved lives," Sir Chris acknowledged. "In all the chaos and all the fear and all the horror of first being diagnosed with stage 4 cancer, you can never imagine any positive outcome coming from that situation. So to know that there is one has given me a purpose. In difficult moments, you remind yourself, actually there is a net positive from this whole situation. And I'm lucky because I have a platform."
The Edinburgh-born icon has been inundated with messages from men who sought testing after hearing about his ordeal. "My Instagram message feed is stacked with people who had no symptoms," he shared with the Sunday Times.
"They had no reason to get a other than they'd seen my news. And they did it off the back of that, and found out they do have prostate cancer. They've caught it early. They're going to get treatment, and it's hopefully going to be OK. That gives me a huge lift."
He expressed that his terminal diagnosis has instilled in him "a different level of appreciation of life."
While some specialists argue that PSA tests can result in too many false positives and negatives, Hoy, a father of two young children, Callum, aged nine, and Chloe, aged seven, conceded: "It isn't 100 percent accurate.
"However, it's the best we've got, and prostate is the most common cancer in England in men. So I believe we need to be more proactive in how we screen. Look at my situation."
Despite having a family history of the disease, the Scot noted he had "no symptoms, no warnings, so I would not have got a PSA test if I'd just gone to a regular GP. They'd have said, 'Come back when you're 50'.
"But by that point it would have been far too late."
He also disclosed that when he is approached for a selfie, his children often ask: "Is it because of cancer?".
He remarks: "It's not something that really scares them, they don't talk about it much, it's just there."
His partner Sarra remains 'stoic and strong', with the children still oblivious to her diagnosis.
Advanced prostate cancer occurs when the cancer cells spread from the prostate - a gland about the size of a walnut located just below the bladder - to other parts of the body.
At this advanced stage, it is currently incurable, but can be managed. If the cancer has metastasised to the bone, the most common symptom is bone pain - a dull ache or sharp stabbing sensation that can disrupt sleep.
In Sir Chris's case, the first symptom was shoulder pain. His chemotherapy treatment was painful as he opted to wear a cap to prevent hair loss for the sake of his young children.
Early-stage prostate cancer often presents no symptoms. However, early indicators may include an increased need to urinate, particularly during the night.
Most cases of prostate cancer are detected early through screening.
In the UK, men at average risk typically undergo their first screening test at 55. The public's interest in 'Sir Chris Hoy' surged after he disclosed his diagnosis, with charities and fellow athletes commending his bravery.
Those at high risk may be tested as early as 45 or even younger.
Hoy's 'Tour de 4' is scheduled for Sept 7, a charity bike ride involving 5,000 cyclists, many of whom are living with stage 4 cancer. The event aims to raise £1m and will start and finish at the Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome in Glasgow.
To participate, visit https://www.tourde4.com..