Former UK Prime Minister David Cameron Reveals Prostate Cancer Diagnosis
LONDON – Former British prime Minister David Cameron, 59, has revealed he has been successfully treated for prostate cancer, urging men to proactively seek health checks. The revelation comes after his wife encouraged him to get tested, inspired by a recent BBC radio interview with entrepreneur Nick Jones, who publicly discussed his own diagnosis and advocated for increased testing.
Cameron underwent a prostate specific antigen (PSA) test earlier this year, which showed a high result, followed by an MRI scan and a biopsy confirming the presence of cancer. He received focal therapy, a treatment targeting the tumor with ultrasound waves to destroy cancer cells.
Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in males in the UK, with approximately 55,000 new cases diagnosed annually. Cameron stated he felt compelled to share his experience to support calls from Prostate Cancer Research – of which Jones is a trustee – for screening to be offered to high-risk men.
“I don’t especially like discussing my personal intimate health issues, but I feel I ought to,” Cameron told The Times newspaper. “Let’s be honest. Men are not very good at talking about their health.We tend to put things off.” He added, “I sort of thoght, well, this has happened to you, and you should lend your voice to it.”
While there is currently no national screening program in the UK due to concerns about the accuracy of PSA tests, a major prostate cancer screening trial recently began to determine the best methods for detection. approximately one in eight men will develop prostate cancer during their lifetime, according to Prostate Cancer UK, with the disease now surpassing breast cancer as the most commonly diagnosed cancer in the UK.
Cameron served as Conservative prime minister from 2010 to 2016 and later as foreign secretary under Rishi Sunak.He emphasized the importance of early detection, stating, “I would feel bad if I didn’t come forward and say that I’ve had this experience. I had a scan. It helped me discover somthing that was wrong. It gave me the chance to deal with it.”
