Sir Chris Hoy has said that his terminal prostate cancer diagnosis has “in some ways improved my life”. The six-time Olympic gold medallist, 49, announced in November that his cancer had spread to his bones, with doctors giving him between two and four years to live.
Speaking to the BBC, Hoy said he now focuses on the present and makes the most of time with his family. “It’s changed my outlook on a lot of things. I’m not as bothered by small things,” he said. “I try and focus on the here and the now, enjoying the moment, making the most of today, and trying to find something positive in any situation.”
Hoy said he is still able to do the things he enjoys and hopes to be around “for a lot longer yet”. His comments come as former prime minister David Cameron disclosed his own prostate cancer diagnosis, urging more men to get tested.
Lord Cameron told The Times that his wife Samantha encouraged him to get a scan, which detected the cancer. He added his voice to calls for a targeted screening programme, saying: “I would feel bad if I didn’t come forward.” Some 12,000 men die from prostate cancer in the UK each year.
On Thursday, the government’s National Screening Committee is expected to decide whether to approve the NHS’s first screening programme for the disease.
