LONDON, UK, 24 November (H.S.): Former UK Prime Minister Lord David Cameron, 59, has revealed that he was successfully treated for prostate cancer earlier this year and is now calling for a national screening program for the disease.
In an interview with The Times, the former Conservative leader said he felt a duty to use his platform to encourage men to overcome their reluctance to discuss health issues.
A Diagnosis Prompted by a Radio Program
Lord Cameron disclosed that he sought a check-up at the insistence of his wife, Samantha, after she was inspired by a BBC radio interview with Soho House founder Nick Jones, who was campaigning for greater awareness following his own diagnosis.
A subsequent prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test revealed high levels of the protein associated with the cancer, which was confirmed by an MRI scan and biopsy.You always dread hearing those words, Lord Cameron told The Times. He opted for prompt treatment, receiving focal therapy, which uses targeted methods like electric pulses or ultrasound waves to destroy cancerous cells without major surgery.
A Call for National Screening
Now cancer-free, Lord Cameron is lending his voice to a campaign by the charity Prostate Cancer Research, urging the government to introduce a targeted screening program for high-risk men. I don't particularly like discussing my personal intimate health issues, but I feel I ought to, he said, acknowledging that men are often hesitant to address their health. I would feel bad if I didn't come forward and say that I've had this experience.
Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men in the UK, with around 55,000 cases diagnosed annually. It is more prevalent in men over 75 and in black men. Currently, there is no national screening program due to concerns about the accuracy of PSA tests.
However, Lord Cameron's intervention comes just days after the launch of a landmark £42 million clinical trial called TRANSFORM, which aims to find the most effective way to screen for the disease by testing PSA tests, MRI scans, and genetic analysis in up to 300,000 men.
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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar
