Chris Hoy says raising cancer awareness has given him new purpose

Sir Chris said a friend in his mid-50s who had no symptoms and “no previous issues at all” would not have got a prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test – which looks for signs of prostate cancer – if he had not made his own diagnosis public.

“Off the back of my diagnosis [he] went to his doctor, his doctor said ‘you don’t really need one’ or ‘there’s no symptoms, come back when you’ve got any problems’,” he said.

“And he pushed the issue and he had a test and he has prostate cancer. He’s being treated and he caught it early, so he’s doing really well. But if it had been left for another few years, who knows what might have happened.”

When the 11-time world track cycling champion announced his diagnosis following a routine scan, it brought messages of praise and support from other British athletes and public figures.

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said at the time that “the whole country is behind him and his family”.

Prostate cancer is the most common type of cancer among men, with around one in eight in the UK being diagnosed with it in their lifetime.

Sir Chris described the first few months after finding out as “an emotional rollercoaster”, but said he had now “got my head around it”.

He added: “When you find out a friend is in a similar situation, it’s really difficult. But it has lifted me, it’s given me a purpose.”

BBC Breakfast also spoke to John Lee, who was diagnosed with prostate cancer a few weeks ago after having no symptoms.

He said the Olympian’s diagnosis may have saved his life.

“To have someone like that with that level of fitness and looking after themselves get prostate cancer, it suddenly occurred to me that I needed to get a test done,” he said.