Sir Chris Hoy urges Scots men to sign up to 'groundbreaking' prostate cancer project
Initiative to offer free tests to tens of thousands of men across Scotland
Leading figures from the world of business and sport, including Sir Chris Hoy and Sir Tom Hunter, have urged tens of thousands of Scots men to take part in a landmark new screening programme designed to improve the early detection and diagnosis of prostate cancer.
Some 25,000 men aged between 40 and 80 will initially be offered free testing over the course of 2026 as part of the Scottish Prostate Cancer Initiative. The test, which involves giving a simple blood sample, measures what is known as prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels.
A range of more advanced diagnostic tests will be deployed across selected groups of men to help develop a greater understanding of the role of genetic risk and the significance of other biochemical markers in the origins of the disease. The groundbreaking new study also aims to explore how the existing clinical pathway for detecting and treating prostate cancer can be improved.
Sir Chris said his own experience living with the disease gave him “hope” that his diagnosis “won’t be in vain,” and said those taking part in the testing can help “shape the future” of how prostate cancer is diagnosed.
The six-time Olympic gold medallist was initially diagnosed with stage four prostate cancer in September 2023, and announced in October the following year that his condition was terminal after tests found tumors in his shoulder, pelvis, hip, spine, and ribs.
Speaking at the initiative’s launch at the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow, the 50 year-old said it was a “no brainer” to get involved in the project, describing it as an “issue very close to my heart.”
He said: “Two and a half years ago, without any symptoms, I was diagnosed with stage four cancer. There was no warning, and I was 47 years of age. I had lived my life being health conscious as an Olympic athlete, and you’re attuned to little changes in your body.
“Coupled with that, my grandfather and my father both had prostate cancer. Yet I still didn’t think it was an issue for me until I was 50 or 55. The impression is that this is a disease for later years, but sadly it’s not for every man.”
“If you are a Scottish man and you are given a prostate cancer diagnosis, you are three times more likely to receive a stage four incurable diagnosis, and that has to change.”
Sir Chris said his initial diagnosis was “devastating,” but that he had found a way to “move on” and “find hope.”
He explained: “Part of the hope that I’ve found is that my diagnosis won’t be in vain. I have a platform to talk about how important it is to have early detection.”
Men wishing to be screened can book a free PSA test from nationwide in towns and cities as far afield as Inverness in the north to Dumfries in the south at www.scottishprostate.com. The first public testing events will be held in Renfrewshire this weekend and in Glasgow next week, and it is hoped the initiative will be rolled out on an even wider basis.
The impact of the screening initiative is already evident via a pilot programme that was completed in February and early March in Greenock, Inchinnan and Johnstone. Some 1,420 men took part in tests, 40 of whom were sent for MRI scans because their PSA results indicated they were at high risk.
While the majority of the MRI scans are being assessed, the pilot has already identified three individuals with cancer, including some at an early stage.
Sir Tom, who is among those helping to fund the initiative, pointed to the “appalling” system which sees 35 per cent of men in Scotland receiving a diagnosis told that it is too late for their cancer to be cured. The comparable figure in London stands at just 12.5 per cent.
The entrepreneur said he was “fed up” with the situation and railed against the “sheer unfairness” of it, and urged men to get tested. “This is an opportunity for Scotland to lead the UK in diagnosing, preventing and treating prostate cancer at the earliest possible stage,” he said.
The former Scotland rugby international, Kenny Logan, also told the event that his own experience showed how getting tested can be “lifesaving.”
The 53 year-old, who won 70 caps for his country, had no symptoms when he was diagnosed in 2022, and urged others to be open and to talk to others about the need for testing.
“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,” he explained.
Organisations supporting the project include the Scottish Police Federation, Glasgow Credit Union and Dundee City Council. Employers signed up to take part include Sandy and James Easdale and McGill’s Buses, the Arnold Clark Group, the Malcolm Group, Lord Haughey and City Facilities Management. Inverness Caledonian Thistle and St Johnstone Football Clubs will be hosting testing events at their stadiums.
EDX Medical Group, a leading digital diagnostics company, is delivering the Initiative in conjunction with the Graham Fulford Charitable Trust, a prostate health awareness charity.
Professor Sir Chris Evans, OBE, founder of EDX Medical, said the initiative had “tremendous potential” to save lives and described it as heralding a “new era” for prostate cancer diagnosis.
He said: “The message is straightforward. If men take a test, they could be saving their own lives whilst also making a big contribution to saving more lives in the future. There is no physical examination involved which we know puts a lot of men off being tested. A simple blood sample is all there is to it.
“Apart from the human suffering that could be prevented, the cost to the country is eye watering. Treating prostate cancer at its early stages can cost around £13,000 per patient whereas at stage four it’s nearly 10 times that figure.”
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