David Cameron has confirmed he was treated for prostate cancer and is urging the UK Government to introduce targeted screening.
The former PM said his wife Samantha encouraged him to ask about a test during a 2024 GP visit.
A PSA test, MRI and biopsy confirmed the diagnosis.
“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,” he told The Times.
Cameron said men “tend to put things off”, adding: “We’re embarrassed to talk about something like the prostate, because it’s so intricately connected with sexual health and everything else.”
He said early testing helped him act quickly. “I had a scan. It helped me discover something that was wrong. It gave me the chance to deal with it.”
Cameron believes recent advances strengthen the case for screening, saying “quite a lot of things have changed over the last few years.”
Rishi Sunak has also pressed ministers to act, saying: “I just want to do this. I’ve gone through the evidence. I’ve made up my own mind.”
Health Secretary Wes Streeting said earlier this year: “I would like to see a screening programme in place, but it must be evidence-led.”