‘I’ll never forget the words, it’s incurable’: Olympic hero Sir Chris Hoy calls for men to be offered prostate cancer screening from the age of 45 after the ‘horror and shock’ of his own terminal diagnosis

Sir Chris Hoy has spoken movingly about what he called the ‘toughest year of my life’ after his incurable prostate cancer diagnosis.

There was an outpouring of support when cycling legend revealed last month that he had been handed a terminal diagnosis and could have just two years to live. 

In an interview with the BBC last night he described the feeling of ‘absolute horror and shock’ of being told what he believed were just ‘aches and pains’ in his shoulder was actually a tumour.

‘I’ll never forget the words, it’s incurable but manageable,’ he said, adding that chemotherapy treatment was ‘like torture’ but that he felt ‘lucky’ because he had more time left than some others.

‘I’m not delusional – I know what the end result will be. But nobody lives forever,’ he said.

Sir Chris, 48, also used the opportunity to call for the NHS to roll out prostate cancer screening to men from the age of 45, adding that it was ‘a no brainer’ and ‘could save millions of lives’.

Recalling how his grandfather and father both suffered prostate cancer he added: ‘If you’ve got a family history like I have, and you’re over the age of 45, go and ask your doctor.

‘It’s logical to me – why wouldn’t you get the test a little bit earlier. Catch it before you need to have any major treatment, to me it seems like a no brainer.

In an interview with the BBC last night he described the ‘absolute horror and shock’ of being told what he believed were just ‘aches and pains’ in his shoulder was actually a tumour

‘Why would you not reduce the age, bring the age down, allow more men to just go in and get a blood test.’

Currently, the NHS doesn’t offer prostate cancer screening – where all men are invited from a set age for regular tests, in the same way that breast, cervical and bowel cancers are screened for.

Men aged 50 and over can ask their GP for a PSA blood test – which picks up problems with the prostate – regardless of symptoms.

However those aged 49 and younger can’t officially be offered the same test, unless doctors have a strong reason to suspect prostate illness.

Sir Chris said he hoped to see this change. ‘Maybe people hearing about my story and then asking their GP [for a test] will create enough of a surge of interest that the people who make decision will address this.

‘In the long term, from a logical point of view, it will potentially save millions of lives.’