Former UK Prime Minister David Cameron has revealed he was diagnosed with prostate cancer and has undergone successful focal therapy treatment. The announcement, made today, comes as he publicly advocates for a national targeted screening program for the disease, which affects approximately 55,000 men in the UK annually.
Cameron, who served as prime Minister from 2010 to 2016 and later as foreign Secretary under Rishi Sunak in 2023, stated he felt compelled to share his experience to encourage men to discuss their health. “I don’t particularly like discussing my personal intimate health issues, but I feel I ought to. Let’s be honest. Men are not very good at talking about their health. We tend to put things off,” he said.
His call for screening aligns with ongoing efforts to address the lack of a national program in the UK, largely due to concerns regarding the accuracy of PSA tests. However, a major trial, the Transform project, has recently begun inviting eligible men to participate in testing promising new screening techniques, backed by £16 million from the National Institute for Health and Care Research and additional funding from Prostate Cancer UK. The UK National Screening Committee is also preparing to review evidence regarding the potential introduction of screening.
The news follows the recent disclosure in October 2024 by Olympic cycling champion Chris Hoy of his own terminal prostate cancer diagnosis, which has metastasized to multiple areas of his body.
Prostate Cancer UK reports that 12,000 men die from the disease each year in the UK, highlighting a disproportionate impact on Black men and those from working-class communities. Director of Health Services, Equity and Advancement at Prostate Cancer UK, Chiara De Biase, praised Cameron for sharing his story, stating, “We’re glad to hear that David Cameron found his prostate cancer at an early stage and had successful treatment…But men’s lives should not be left to chance.”
