London (Parliament Politics Magazine) – The Health Secretary has urged the NHS to review prostate cancer screening following Sir Chris Hoy’s appeal for earlier tests.
The Health Secretary has said that the NHS will review its direction on testing for prostate cancer in light of Sir Chris Hoy’s “powerful” call for more men to be filtered, the Olympic cycling champion Sir Chris, who has terminal cancer, is advising men with a family history of the disease to consider visiting their GP, and for more men to be aware of the prostate-specific antigen (PSA) blood test to review for the disease.
“If you’ve got a family history of it as I have, if you’re over the age of 45, go and request your doctor,” Sir Chris said. I’ve got a friend who, when I told him my news early on confidentially, went and got a PSA test and it turned out he had cancer. He’s had treatment and he’s been given the all-clear.”
He stated men should be able to get a screening examination when they are younger, with no barriers to accessing one. “Catch it before you need to have any major treatment. To me, it seems a no-brainer. Reduce the age, allow more men to just go in and get a blood test.”
Who might benefit from earlier PSA screening options?
NHS procedures for England say anyone can request a PSA examination if they are over the age of 50. Charity Prostate Cancer UK also suggests that black men, who have a more significant risk of being diagnosed with prostate cancer than men of other races, or those with a family history of prostate cancer may want to communicate to their GP about holding a PSA test from the age of 45. GPs are presently told to utilise their clinical conclusions for men aged under 50 without signs who they consider to be at extended risk of prostate cancer. Men with signs of any age can ask for a test.
How does the health secretary view current screening ages?
Wes Streeting, the Health Secretary, said: “I think Sir Chris Hoy makes a powerful statement there. That’s why I’ve requested the NHS to look at the case for lowering the screening age for prostate cancer, and (he) even makes an extremely powerful case where there’s a family history. I’m sure his appeal to people who’ve got a history of prostate cancer in their family to maybe think about asking for an earlier check will already be heeded by people watching.
“And the final thing I believe he’s already made a difference on is there will be lots of people out there living with cancer at the point, either themselves or someone they love… and how he has expressed so openly and full of positiveness about his journey with cancer, I think, will have given hope and motivation to millions of people across the nation. So, I can tell Chris we are now actively glancing at the case – we’ve got to be evidence-led, (have) clinically led findings … but we are working actively looking at it as a consequence of his intervention.”