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The NHS will review its guidance on prostate cancer testing following Sir Chris Hoy’s suggestion that more younger men need to be examined for the condition, the health secretary has stated. Olympic cycling champ Sir Chris was diagnosed with terminal cancer that has spread to his bones. Sir Chris urged individuals with a strong family history of prostate cancer to talk to their GP about having a blood test for prostate-specific antigen (PSA) to help detect the disease early.
Without symptoms, PSA tests are not routinely offered to men under 50 who may be at risk. Doctors are told to use their judgment instead. Sir Chris argued that reducing the age would allow more men to undertake the procedure, stating, “To me it seems a no-brainer. Why would they not reduce the age? Bring the age down and allow more men to go in and get a blood test.”
Health Secretary Wes Streeting agreed that Sir Chris’s argument was strong. “That’s why I’ve asked the NHS to look at the case for lowering the age,” he stated. “It’s obviously got to be evidence-led, clinically-led decisions.” NHS guidelines for England indicate that anyone over the age of 50 may request a PSA test, while men of any age who exhibit symptoms may also receive one.
Routine PSA testing or screening is not offered by the NHS since experts believe the test alone is not accurate enough to warrant screening. Meanwhile, doctors are investigating whether adding MRI scans to PSA tests would help to enhance efficacy. The charity Prostate Cancer UK has backed Sir Chris’s recommendations, stating that conducting more checks could potentially save thousands of lives each year.
Sir Chris revealed in his first TV interview since declaring his condition that he was in absolute shock when he was initially diagnosed. The news that he only had a little bit of pain in his shoulder and ribs as symptoms was an absolute surprise. Sir Chris’s announcement resulted in an almost eight-fold increase in NHS searches for prostate cancer symptoms in the days that followed
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