Sir Chris Hoy gives cancer update as he urges Government to launch UK prostate screening programme

Sir Chris Hoy is doing ‘really well’ in his fight against stage four prostate cancer – and has reiterated his call for a national screening programme.

The six-time Olympic gold medallist, 50, revealed in late 2024 that he had been diagnosed with the disease, which kills more than 12,000 men per year.

As the incurable cancer had spread to his bones, the Scottish cycling legend was given a prognosis of two-to-four years.

But now, Sir Chris has revealed he has responded well to treatment and is remaining positive.

He explained that he undergoes tests every three to six months, although monitoring becomes more frequent if doctors detect any areas of concern.  

Those check-ups can bring difficult news, including signs that his prostate cancer has become more active. 

Giving an example, Sir Chris told The Guardian: ‘I remember when I was about to walk on stage for a talk. It was one of these ‘An Evening With …’ events. It had sold out and I was just about to go out in front of a packed audience. 

‘I shouldn’t have done it, but I checked my phone and the results were there. The PSA [prostate-specific antigen] had gone back up. It was like: ‘Oh God’. And then: ‘Put your phone down, put a smile on and do it.’

Sir Chris also revealed that his approach to receiving test results has changed. 

Rather than meeting his consultant in person, he said he now prefers consultations over Zoom because he finds himself reading too much into doctors’ body language, worrying they are about to deliver bad news.  

Since going public with his diagnosis, Sir Chris has also become a major advocate for greater awareness of prostate cancer.

Now, he says he wants ‘men to understand the risk’ of getting the disease.

Prostate cancer is the most common cancer among men in the UK, with 63,000 cases and 12,000 deaths each year.

But unlike breast, bowel and lung cancer, there is currently no national screening programme for the disease.

Sir Chris first saw his doctor in September 2023 with shoulder pain, and was told that he had a tumour on his shoulder.

Within days he was given the devastating news that the main cancer was in his prostate – and it had spread to his shoulder, as well as his hips, ribs and spine.

The Daily Mail is among those campaigning to end needless prostate cancer deaths with a national screening programme, initially targeted at high-risk men, such as those who are black, have a family history of the disease or specific genetic mutations.

As few as 1,500 men are likely to be invited for checks when a limited screening drive launches next year.

This will include men aged 45 to 61 who have a rare gene mutation combined with a family history of breast, ovarian, pancreatic or prostate cancer.

Sir Chris has now questioned why a broader programme has yet to be introduced, saying he ‘can’t see how the government are not coming up with some form of proactive decision’.

He continued: ‘They say that the risk of testing every man, and the number of men who would have elevated PSA levels, would then lead to too many being unnecessarily treated, and then having to deal with the consequences of surgery or treatment. 

‘To me, that’s a treatment issue, not a screening issue. France has a screening system. I don’t know why we don’t. It just doesn’t make sense.’

Sir Chris also revealed in a separate interview this week that exercise has helped him to deal with his diagnosis.

He told the Big Issue: ‘Exercise is a big part of my dealing with my cancer. 

‘There’s numerous studies to show that exercise can improve the efficacy of the cancer medications. It can improve your time to relapse.

‘If it was in pill form, it would be hailed as a miracle drug.’

Over the weekend the NHS announced that 500,000 men would be contacted for what they dubbed a ‘major prostate cancer research programme’. 

The health service will reach out to men who have had or are currently living with the disease.

They said: ‘The initiative aims to recruit as many participants as possible to improve how prostate cancer is diagnosed and treated as well as understanding the side effects of treatment and the impact on men’s quality of life, helping to shape how future clinical trials and research are carried out.’

It is being backed by famous faces such as Stephen Fry, who was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2017.

Mr Fry labelled the drive as ‘genuinely hopeful’ and having the potential for ‘enormous collective good’.