Sir Chris Hoy has issued an urgent plea for more men to undergo prostate cancer screening, following his own terminal diagnosis. The six-time Olympic gold medallist was told in September 2023 that he had prostate cancer, which had spread to his bones. In October 2024, he revealed the cancer had reached stage four, giving him an estimated two to four years to live.
The 50-year-old former cyclist has since dedicated himself to raising awareness of the disease. He recently launched the Scottish Prostate Cancer Initiative in Glasgow, a programme aiming to screen 25,000 Scottish men. The initiative focuses on early detection, which Hoy says saves lives.
Hoy emphasised the simplicity of the test, stating: 'It’s just a simple blood test. With a PSA test you’re in and out of the doctor’s in five minutes. It’s easy, it’s simple, it’s painless and it could save your life.' He noted that many men assume there will be warning signs, but his own experience showed otherwise.
The campaign has already had a significant impact, with a reported 700 per cent surge in men contacting their GPs for test bookings since Hoy revealed his diagnosis. He is calling on men over 40 in particular to get tested.
