Sir Chris Hoy and Kenny Logan call for more men to get two-minute blood test that could save their lives
His terminal diagnosis shocked Scotland, and since revealing he had stage four prostate cancer he has tirelessly battled to raise awareness about the disease.
And now Olympic legend Sir Chris Hoy has thrown his weight behind a campaign to get 25,000 Scottish men tested for what has become the country’s most common cancer.
In a powerful message to men north of the Border, the Edinburgh-born sportsman called for those over the age of 40 to get a simple prostate cancer test and said: ‘It could save your life.’
It came as the six-time gold medallist joined former rugby international Kenny Logan and leading business figures including Sir Tom Hunter to launch the Scottish Prostate Cancer Initiative.
Some 25,000 men aged between 40 and 80 will be asked to provide a simple blood sample so scientists can measure Prostate-Specific Antigen, known as a PSA test.
The initiative aims to improve earlier detection and diagnosis while saving lives.
Hailing it as a ‘major step forward for prostate cancer testing’, Sir Chris said: ‘It’s a two-minute blood test, literally, just in and out. Done.
‘No matter the result you can deal with it, whether it’s all clear or whether it’s stage four or somewhere in between you need that information and information is power.’
Sir Chris and Mr Logan attended an event to launch the new campaign
Sir Chris and his wife Sarra have spoken openly about dealing with his diagnosis
The first testing events will be held in Renfrewshire this weekend and in Glasgow next week.
A pilot programme has already detected cancers in the more than 1,400 tests carried out so far.
Sir Chris announced his shock diagnosis in October 2024, and said he had been given between two and four years to live.
Revealing how the disease has affected him, he said: ‘A stage four diagnosis changes your life drastically, but I guess it’s finding new purpose and today’s event is all about trying to educate men about the importance of catching prostate cancer early.
‘Early detection saves lives – that is the message to take away.’
His cancer diagnosis is not the only difficlult development the sportsman has encountered in the last couple of years.
In a cruel twist of fate, his wife Sarra was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS) just days after he learned his cancer was terminal.
The couple have since been incredibly open about the stark reality of their situation as they look to raise awareness of both MS adn cancer.
Sir Chris, who retired from competitive cycling in 2013 after he became Team GB’s most successful Olympian of all time at the London 2012 games, said ‘things are going well’ for him so far and he was still undergoing treatment.
He said: ‘I’m living my life and making the most of it, but trying to find the positives out of it, and that has to be to educate men about their risk and to take action.’
Prostate cancer is the most common cancer among men in Scotland, affecting one in 10. Unlike other cancers, there is no national screening programme for early detection.
(L-R) Kenny Logan, Sir Chris Hoy, Professor Chris Evans and businessman Sir Tom Hunter have given their backing to the new campaign
The UK national screening committee, which advises the Scottish Government, will soon publish new guidance.
Sir Chris said: ‘Ten thousand men a year in the UK are receiving a prostate cancer diagnosis of stage four. So it’s too late.
‘The one thing we can’t do is nothing, we have to do something proactive to try and get those numbers down.
‘The prostate cancer initiative, aside from just the PSA testing, a lot of the data we’re going to get off the back of this will help in an evidence-based decision regarding screening.’
He said the first step was making sure every single man who was old enough knew the risks they faced. He added it was not as clear cut or simple to say every single man needed to be screened but he hoped that the initiative would give data that could ‘help inform the governments to make the right decisions in the future regarding screening’.
He said: ‘We cannot sit on our hands and do nothing. We have to go out on the front foot and do something proactive.’
Mr Logan, who despite having no symptoms had been diagnosed with the disease which he is now free from, has also backed the campaign.
He said: ‘Men have a history of not wanting to talk about prostate cancer and have been put off from being tested for a variety of reasons.
‘I know from my own experience that getting tested is lifesaving and this is a great project where Scotland is showing real leadership.’
Professor Sir Chris Evans, whose company EDX Medical Group is delivering the project, said he had already met with Scotland’s Health Secretary, describing the meeting as ‘very constructive’.
The scientist said early detection was important for prostate cancer, both because it saved lives but it saves the Government money.
He said a stage one diagnosis, which is curable, could cost thousands of pounds to treat while stage four, which is terminal, costs hundreds of thousands of pounds.
Each man who participates in the initiative will be asked to give a simple blood sample to measure PSA levels with the results expected to be sent back within days.
The aim of the study is to explore how the existing clinical pathway for detecting and treating prostate cancer can be improved.
The findings of the study will be made available to NHS Scotland.
Men can book a free PSA test online at ScottishProstate.com.
