David Cameron did his bit for fathers everywhere when he made the terrible error of leaving his daughter Nancy behind in a pub, when she was eight years old. No dad would want to do such a thing and his actions made people sympathise with him, while also making a mental note to be sure they didn’t do the same. Thankfully she was fine and now she still reportedly won’t let him forget the mistake he made 13 years ago. But hopefully Nancy will be proud of her dad and think he’s redeemed himself by speaking out about a very personal issue.
He has revealed that he had prostate cancer, and by doing so he has done his bit to help men everywhere realise it’s okay to get checked out if they are worried. Many men seem to be put off going to their GP to get their prostate checked as they hear horror stories about the doctor having to put their fingers into the patient’s rectum, to feel for lumps or hard spots.
But we live in the 21st century and this isn’t the only way to detect possible signs of prostate cancer. As Lord Cameron states in his interviews about his treatment, he had a blood test earlier this year to measure the level of prostate-specific antigen (PSA). He then had an MRI scan and a biopsy.
Thankfully it seems the treatment he received for the disease was a success, but sadly many men aren’t so lucky.
Prostate cancer is the second biggest cancer killer for men in the UK, after lung cancer, but there is no national screening programme to spot the signs early.
Speaking to The Times he said: “I want to, as it were, come out. I want to add my name to the long list of people calling for a targeted screening programme.
“I don’t particularly like discussing my personal intimate health issues, but I feel I ought to. Let’s be honest. Men are not very good at talking about their health. We tend to put things off.”
The UK National Screening Committee is set to announce in the coming weeks whether it believes current evidence supports the introduction of a screening programme.
There are said to be concerns about the accuracy of the PSA test and I say it’s good to be concerned, but the screening programme needs to happen.
I myself have incurable bowel cancer and two of the blood tests I have every fortnight are similar to the PSA test but detect antigens related to my bowels, rather than the prostate.
The tests are never treated as gospel and are just a guide about whether my tumours are stable or growing. And then every three months I have MRI and CT scans to give a definitive picture of what is going on inside my body.
There are three actions the NHS must now take when necessary. Just like the way it happened with David Cameron, the screening programme should start with the PSA test and if any issues are suspected, then an MRI test can be done and, if necessary, a biopsy.
These screenings won’t be cheap, but detecting and treating cancer early is far cheaper and better for the patient than not finding it until it has spread to other parts of the body.
And of course, the Daily Express’s Cancer Care campaign will fight for those men who are diagnosed to receive proper mental health care throughout their difficult journey.
This story originally appeared on Express.co.uk
