Leading figures back Telegraph's campaign for prostate cancer screening

Telegraph

26-07-2025

Leading figures have thrown their weight behind the Telegraph's campaign for targeted screening for prostate cancer.
Men are not offered tests even if they have a family history of the disease, but the UK National Screening Committee is considering whether to recommend the rollout of testing.
Launching the campaign, The Telegraph revealed thousands of men are only receiving a diagnosis with prostate cancer after being dismissed by their GP multiple times.
Every year about 55,000 men are diagnosed with prostate cancer, the most common cancer in men. Of those, around 10,000 only receive the diagnosis after at least three visits to their GP seeking help, NHS data suggests.
Rishi Sunak, the former prime minister, on Saturday backed the call for targeted screening, joining several figures from the world of television and sport who have been treated.
Experts believe there is a growing case for targeted screening, meaning that prostate-specific antigen (PSA) tests would be offered to those at heightened risk.
The plight of men with prostate cancer has been highlighted by Sir Chris Hoy, a six-time Olympic cycling gold medallist, who was diagnosed with terminal cancer that originated in his prostate in 2023.
Despite prostate cancer affecting his father and grandfather he was never offered PSA tests.
Targeted screening could mean offering checks to men with a family history of the disease, higher genetic risks or those whose ethnic background increases the chance of disease.
Men over the age of 50 can request a PSA test but GPs are told not to offer them proactively, and to use their clinical judgment about younger men.
Under the current rules, those with symptoms should be offered tests.
Wes Streeting, Health Secretary, has said that Sir Chris 'makes a powerful argument' about the case for prostate screening, especially where there is a family history of disease.
Every year in the UK around 12,000 men die from it with around half of men only diagnosed when the disease, which can be symptomless, is at a late stage.
Mr Sunak, who recently became an ambassador for the charity Prostate Cancer Research, said: 'Too many men are leaving it too late to get checked. They get lulled into a false sense of security by the absence of symptoms.
'In too many cases, by the time there are symptoms that are impacting your lifestyle, it's probably too late. By the time men do seek help, the cancer can be advanced and much harder to treat.
'In some cases people don't realise they are in high-risk groups because of family history or ethnic background. Ignorance kills and that's why we need a targeted national screening programme. It will ensure men are seen and checked before it's too late.'
Government advisers have previously been reluctant to recommend the programme because of concerns about PSA tests. However, in recent years the back-up diagnostics used to make a diagnosis have significantly improved.
Actor Stephen Fry, 67, was diagnosed in 2018 and underwent surgery to remove his prostate and some lymph nodes. He was diagnosed after a routine PSA blood test and MRI scan following a suggestion from his doctor.
He too backed the Telegraph campaign, saying: 'Prostate cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in men in the UK yet it remains one we speak about too little, test for too late and act on too slowly. Thousands of men are dying needlessly from a disease which, when caught early, is eminently survivable. The status quo must change and it must change now.'
He urged the Government and the National Screening Committee to introduce a targeted screening programme, beginning with the men most at risk.
Fry said: 'We know early detection of prostate cancer saves lives. It really is that simple. No man should die from a cancer that could have been treated if found in time. We have a moral obligation – as a society and as a health system – to act. The opportunity is before us; the cost of inaction is measured not just in numbers but in fathers, brothers, partners and friends lost and families left shattered.'
Dermot Murnaghan, 67, the former Sky News presenter, revealed in June that he has Stage 4 prostate cancer, meaning it has spread to other areas of the body.
He said he 'fell through the gaps' in the system, never asking his GP for tests because he assumed that regular private health checks included PSA tests.
He told The Telegraph: 'I know first hand the difference early diagnosis can make. We now have the tools to target those most at risk and save thousands of lives each year. It's time we rolled out screening for high-risk groups.'
TV presenter Nick Owen, 77, was diagnosed with aggressive prostate cancer in 2023, for which he received treatment.
He said: 'Being diagnosed was one of the worst days of my life. It triggered some turbulent times, not just for me but my family too. Life is better now but it's not the same as it was. The groundswell for change in how this awful disease is diagnosed and treated is growing.
'Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in the UK without a screening programme, but the evidence is there to change this.
'Early diagnosis is key and changing that senseless situation where its still incumbent on men to be aware of their risk and proactively talk about it with their GP. Black men and those with a family history are at increased risk, so its so important that they are armed with the full facts.
'I am a dad to three boys all in their late 30s and early 40s. I know about inherited risk. I am really concerned about them. I am very anxious about it.
'We all want a world when there are regular, reliable tests to find prostate cancer in its early stages, when it's easier to treat. Hopefully this campaign can set us on the right path to get there.'
Kenny Logan, 53, the former Scotland international and husband of BBC presenter Gabby, underwent treatment for prostate cancer earlier in 2022.
He said: 'I was asymptomatic when I was diagnosed in 2022, if I hadn't taken a blood test it might have been too late. I'm grateful to be here, this is why I'm backing The Telegraph's campaign urging the Government to act with urgency.'
Bill Turnbull, a TV presenter and journalist, died of the disease in 2022 aged 66.
His daughter Flora said: 'A targeted screening programme for men who are most vulnerable of developing prostate cancer will be a step in the right direction. Those at highest risk of this disease deserve better.
'My family and I know how cruel prostate cancer is after watching my dad gradually decline after his diagnosis in 2017.
'I know how decisively and swiftly the illness can act if left unchecked. I really hope this campaign results in better outcomes and a better future for all men and those who love them.'
Nick Jones, 61, the founder of Soho House, an international chain of private members' clubs, was diagnosed with a large and aggressive tumour on his prostate which was urgently removed.
He said: 'I consider myself one of the lucky ones, my prostate cancer was caught just in time. But luck shouldn't decide who lives and who dies. It's time for the Government to act. Too many lives are on the line.'
Journalist Paul Henderson was diagnosed with stage two prostate cancer in June and will be writing a regular column for The Telegraph about going through the process of diagnosis and treatment.
He said: 'Prostate cancer awareness shouldn't start with a diagnosis. As the most common cancer in the UK, we all need to be talking about it. We need to understand the risk factors and we need to catch it as early as possible.
'Like almost all men, I never thought it would happen to me. But in all honesty, I never really thought about prostate cancer, full stop. That has to change. And bringing in a national screening programme shouldn't really be a discussion because it's simply a matter of life or death.'