Sir Chris Hoy: NHS to review prostate cancer tests after cyclist calls for change

His news led to an almost eightfold increase in NHS searches for prostate cancer symptoms over the following days.

“It’s been the hardest year of our lives so far to some extent,” he told the BBC.

“Maybe people seeing this or hearing about my story – just by asking their GP – will create enough of a wave of interest that people making the decisions will say ‘you know what, we’ve got to fix this ‘. And in the long run this will potentially save millions of lives.”

He added: “I know what the end result will be. Nobody lives forever. Our time on this planet is limited. Don’t waste your time worrying about things that aren’t that important. Focus on the things that are.

“My perspective on life has changed massively. I’m more grateful, I’m more grateful for every day. It’s been a tough year, and it’s going to be tough going forward, but for now, right here right now, we” have that pretty good.”

The NHS advises men to talk to a doctor if they think they are at higher risk of prostate cancer. A man’s risk of this cancer increases with age.

Cancer Research UK says the evidence so far suggests that people who use PSA are routinely screened would not greatly help prevent deaths, outer and may instead lead to men receiving unnecessary treatment that can cause unnecessary stress and potential side effects.

PSA is not diagnostic. An elevated PSA level does not necessarily mean that there is cancer. It can also be elevated with other conditions, such as inflammation.

If you ask for a PSA test, your doctor may advise you to think carefully about the pros and cons.

The full interview – Sir Chris Hoy: Finding Hope – will be shown on BBC One at 20:00 GMT on Tuesday 5 November and will be available to watch thereafter BBC iPlayer. You can also listen in its entirety on BBC sounds.