Sir Chris Hoy: Olympic legend’s terminal diagnosis could save countless lives
Sir Chris Hoy’s cycling legacy is already evident.
Riders today training in the Glasgow Velodrome bearing his name – dreaming of emulating their sporting icon and those daring, cunning manoeuvres that won six Olympic golds.
And the decision to reveal his terminal cancer diagnosis is not just about having a chance to say goodbye in the year – or years – he still has to live.
It is about having a wider, inspirational impact beyond the sport he dominated for so long.
“Getting his important men’s health messages out there could save countless lives of other men,” Professor Roger Kirby, vice president of Prostate Cancer UK, told Sky News. “Making more men aware of the diseases that they are prone to.”
The cancer had gone undetected in Sir Chris.
Only discomfort in a shoulder while lifting weights made him see a doctor in September 2023.
The scans revealed not only a tumour in his shoulder, but later, that primary cancer in the prostate had spread throughout his body.
Aged 47, left to reflect on only having two to four years to live.
No ‘perfect’ prostate cancer test yet
Could it have been discovered earlier?
Despite both his father and grandfather having had prostate cancer, you only have the right to a prostate-specific antigen test on the NHS if you are over 50.
“We haven’t yet got the perfect test for detecting prostate cancer early. The best thing we’ve got at the moment is PSA,” Professor Kirby said.
“Having a PSA test done at a reasonable age, especially if you’ve got a family history, is a sensible thing to do.
“And what we look for with the PSA test is the rise in that PSA over time.
“And if the PSA is rising that suggests there’s a problem in the prostate and we need to differentiate between benign problems – like a swollen prostate – versus cancer.”
Better tests are needed. Studies are under way with MRI scans that use magnetic fields to detect prostate cancer.
“The awareness that comes from very famous individuals like Chris will help us refine our testing more,” said Professor Kirby, one of Britain’s most experienced prostate surgeons for more than 20 years.
“Men often are their own worst enemies. They tend to bury their heads in the sand, not get tested,” he added.
“And then surprise, surprise, something comes along and by the time it’s diagnosed, then it’s sometimes too late to do anything about it.”