When Sir Chris Hoy revealed that he had been diagnosed with stage-four prostate cancer in September 2023, aged just 47, the shockwaves reached far beyond the velodrome. Here was Britain’s most decorated Olympian – the embodiment of supreme fitness – confronting a killer disease that affects one in eight men in the UK. “I didn’t think about what the potential outcomes of going public with my diagnosis might be,” says Hoy, “but [since then] I’ve heard from people who have gone and had a PSA test off the back of my diagnosis – despite having had no symptoms – and been diagnosed, catching it early enough to treat and cure it.”
Now, two years on, Hoy has expressed "disappointment and sadness" at the UK National Screening Committee's recommending against a nationwide prostate cancer screening programme except for men between the ages of 45 and 61 who have specific genetic mutations. The experts advised that wider screening would "likely to cause more harm than good". Drawing on his own experience, Hoy said: “I know first-hand that by sharing my story following my own diagnosis two years ago, many, many lives have been saved. Early screening and diagnosis saves lives. I am determined to continue to use my platform to raise awareness, encourage open discussion, raise vital funds for further research and support, and to campaign for change.”
