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Yes, you read the headline right: Rishi Sunak is finally making himself useful.

It turns out he is a patron of Prostate Cancer Research, and is now trying to save “countless lives” with a new initiative to give more men early warning of the condition.

It would focus on black men and/or those with a family history of prostate cancer who are aged 45–69.

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Here‘s the BBC:

Sunak said he is “convinced of the urgency ” of introducing such a programme, which he believes would be affordable and deliverable.

But some medical experts are sceptical about the value of screening, arguing there is a risk patients will be treated for the cancer unnecessarily.

Prostate Cancer Research estimates the screening programme, which would involve an MRI scan, a PSA (prostate-specific antigen) blood test and a biopsy, would cost £25m a year – or about £18 per patient – similar to bowel and breast cancer screening.

More than 58,000 men were diagnosed with prostate cancer in England alone in 2024, a 9% increase on 2023, the latest figures from the National Prostate Cancer Audit show.

Meanwhile, one in four black men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer, compared to one in eight white men and one in 13 men of other ethnicities, according to Prostate Cancer Research. Men are also more than twice more likely to develop the cancer if they have a family history of it.

Sunak tells us he has family and friends who have been impacted by prostate cancer, but not at the cost of their lives – highlighting the importance of detecting it early.

But he said men – including himself – were often shy of coming forward to discuss health issues, and this is why he thinks a targeted, proactive screening programme would be useful.

This Writer also knows people who have been impacted by the condition; the former Mrs Mike’s brother was diagnosed with it almost exactly a year ago.

He had no symptoms at all and it was only caught because of a trip to his GP for something else. The doctor said because of his age (50s, like me) he would do a routine blood test and a PSA test (this is a blood test that checks for prostate cancer).

The test turned out to be positive, and his cancer was growing outside his prostate gland – meaning if it had not been caught, it would have gone into his bones and been terminal.

I’m having my test in two weeks.

The message here is that – whether you’re in a high-risk category or not – it’s a good idea to get a test. Better than not getting it, not knowing, and then being hit with a terminal illness out of the blue.

Don’t you think?
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