Sir Chris Hoy urges men to take part in 'groundbreaking' prostate cancer testing being held in Falkirk

The initiative was launched today with the help of leading sportsmen and business leaders.

Sir Chris Hoy, six-time Olympic gold medallist, was initially diagnosed with stage four prostate cancer in September 2023, and announced the following year that his condition was terminal.

Today he urged men to come forward to take a simple test, saying: “It could save your life.”

Around 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.

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.

Speaking at the launch event 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.”

“A stage four diagnosis changes your life drastically but I guess it’s finding a new purpose, and today’s event is all about trying to educate men about the importance of catching prostate cancer early.

“Early detection saves lives – that is the message to take away from today.”

He added: “I always assumed there would be some kind of symptoms or early-warning signs. My grandpa had prostate cancer, my dad had it, so I was aware of it.

“But even then, we’re always told it’s 50 years and above, that it’s an older man’s disease, and it’s slow-moving, and you’ll get warning signs. That’s not always the case. So, I think that that is the key thing.”

Testing events are being held across Scotland from this weekend, including two in this area: at McGill’s bus depot in Stirling Road, Larbert on Friday, April 24 from 8.30am to 5.30pm and on Saturday, April 25 in McGill’s office in Glebe Street, Falkirk, from 8.30am to 5.30pm.

Places can be booked here

Sir Chris the “fantastic” initiative was launched after figures showed around 35 per cent of men in Scotland with prostate cancer were diagnosed when it was too late to be cured, compared to just 12.5 per cent in London.

He was joined at the launch by entrepreneur Sir Tom Hunter and rugby legend Kenny Logan, as well as Sandy and James Easdale, co-owners of McGill’s Buses, who were all supporting the initiative.

As well as the emotional costs of being diagnosed with prostate cancer, it can save the NHS thousands of pounds if caught early. Figures show that treating advanced prostate cancer can exceed £127,000 per patient – compared to approximately £13,000 for early-stage diagnosis.

The findings of the study will be made available to NHS Scotland.