Former U.K. Prime Minister David Cameron has publicly disclosed that he was diagnosed with prostate cancer earlier this year — a revelation he says he hopes will push the British government to strengthen early-detection efforts for men across the country.
Speaking to The Times in an interview published Sunday, Nov. 23, the 59-year-old politician shared that he decided to get tested after his wife, Samantha, heard Soho House founder Nick Jones discussing his own diagnosis on the radio. Her concern prompted Cameron to undergo a prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test, which measures protein levels linked to prostate cancer.
The results were higher than normal, leading to an MRI scan and a biopsy — tests that ultimately confirmed the diagnosis.
“You always hope for the best,” Cameron recalled. “You have a high PSA score — that’s probably nothing. You have an MRI scan with a few black marks — that’s probably OK. But when the biopsy comes back and says you’ve got prostate cancer… you always dread hearing those words. And as the doctor says it, you’re thinking, ‘Oh God, he said it.’”
Cameron underwent focal therapy, a targeted treatment designed to destroy cancer cells in a specific area of the prostate using methods such as ultrasound waves. According to medical experts, the approach can spare healthy tissue and comes with fewer side effects than traditional surgery or radiation, making it suitable for cancers detected early and confined to the prostate.
Now recovering, Cameron says he wants to use his platform to advocate for a national screening initiative — something the U.K. currently lacks despite prostate cancer being the most common cancer among British men, with roughly 55,000 cases diagnosed each year.
“I want to come out and add my name to the long list of people calling for a targeted screening program,” he said, acknowledging that men often avoid talking about health concerns. “I don’t particularly like discussing personal health issues, but I feel I ought to. Men put things off — we’ve got to talk about this and act on it.”
While PSA testing has long sparked debate due to concerns about false positives and potential overtreatment, Cameron believes medical advancements may shift the conversation.
“I know it’s not a slam dunk,” he admitted. “But circumstances are changing, the arguments are changing — and it’s the right moment to take another look.”
Cameron served as prime minister from 2010 to 2016 and resigned as an MP the same year. In 2023, he made an unexpected return to frontline politics when then-Prime Minister Rishi Sunak appointed him foreign secretary and elevated him to the House of Lords.
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