Former PM David Cameron Discloses Diagnosis and Treatment of Prostate Cancer

49 minutes ago Share Save Dearbail Jordan Share Save

Former Prime Minister David Cameron has revealed that he has undergone treatment for prostate cancer. At 59, Lord Cameron told The Times newspaper that his wife urged him to have a check-up following a BBC radio segment featuring entrepreneur Nick Jones, who advocated for more men to get tested after his own diagnosis. Responding to this prompt, the Conservative peer underwent a prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test earlier this year, which was followed by an MRI scan and a biopsy. Subsequently, he received focal therapy treatment, a targeted approach that uses methods like ultrasound waves to target the tumor area and destroy cancer cells. Prostate cancer is the most common cancer among males in the UK, with approximately 55,000 new cases annually.

PSA Test Flaws

The PSA test is designed to detect proteins associated with prostate cancer, and Lord Cameron's results were notably high. He expressed a desire to leverage his platform to advocate, alongside the Prostate Cancer Research charity—where Nick Jones is a trustee—for the implementation of screening programs for high-risk men. This type of cancer predominantly affects older men, particularly those over the age of 75, and is rarer in individuals under 50. It is also more prevalent in black men. Lord Cameron remarked, “I don't particularly like discussing my personal intimate health issues, but I feel I ought to. Men are not very good at talking about their health; we tend to delay.” Yet, he acknowledged the importance of sharing his experience, stating, “I thought, well, this has happened to you, and you should lend your voice to it."

During his tenure as Conservative Prime Minister from 2010 to 2016, and later as foreign secretary under Rishi Sunak's government, Lord Cameron expressed to The Times his belief that not speaking about his experience would be remiss: “I had a scan. It helped me discover something that was wrong. It gave me the chance to deal with it.”

Currently, the UK lacks a formal screening program for prostate cancer due to concerns about PSA test accuracy. While a high PSA level doesn’t always indicate cancer—it may elevate due to infections—men over 50 can request this test to identify unusually high protein levels in their blood. However, the test is considered unreliable, often detecting cancers that require no treatment and missing others that do. This unreliability may lead to unnecessary anxiety and further medical investigations among men with elevated PSA levels.