David Cameron has disclosed that he was diagnosed with cancer as he called upon the government to introduce targeted screening.
The former prime minister, 59, said that he had been diagnosed with prostate cancer, after being encouraged to get tested by his wife, Samantha.
Lord Cameron told The Times that he wanted to add his name to the long list of people calling for a targeted screening programme.
“I would feel bad if I didn’t come forward and say that I’ve had this experience. I had a scan. It helped me discover something that was wrong. It gave me the chance to deal with it,” he said.
Following his diagnosis, he said he wanted to support a call by the charity Prostate Cancer Research for screening to be offered to men deemed at high risk.
Lord Cameron said he was diagnosed with cancer after taking a prostate specific antigen (PSA) test, looking for key proteins linked to the cancer. A biopsy confirmed the diagnosis.
He told The Times, “You always dread hearing those words. I had this decision to make, which lots of people with prostate cancer have. Do you watch and wait? Or do you look at what the treatment options are? Do I want to take the risk of not acting, or do I want to take the risks of acting?”
Lord Cameron said he elected to have focal therapy, where needles deliver electric pulses to destroy cancerous cells. After the successful treatment, he was given another MRI scan in June.
