Sir Chris Hoy’s terminal cancer diagnosis prompts near sevenfold increase for prostate cancer advice

Visits for prostate cancer symptoms advice on the NHS website rose by 672 per cent following Sir Chris Hoy’s announcement about his terminal prognosis.

New figures from NHS England show that in the 48 hours after the six-time Olympic champion revealed his cancer was incurable, there were 14,478 visits to the page on prostate cancer symptoms.

That is nearly eight times as many as over the same period the previous week, when there were 1,876 visits.

Visits to the page peaked on Sunday with 8,816 visits, which is the equivalent to 1 visit every 10 seconds.

The NHS website includes information on different forms of cancer, spotting early signs and types of treatment.

NHS England’s National Clinical Director for Cancer Professor Peter Johnson said: “We’re very sorry to hear about Chris’s prognosis, but his decision to speak so openly about it could save lives by encouraging people to come forward sooner with their symptoms.

“Thanks to his bravery, we have seen a significant spike in people accessing vital information on our website about the signs and symptoms of cancer.

“One in two people will develop some form of cancer in their lifetime and detecting the disease early gives the best chance of successful treatment.

“So, I would urge anyone who’s noticed unusual or worrying symptoms to please contact their GP practice”.

Secretary of State for Health and Social Care Wes Streeting said: “I am in awe of Chris’ courage. He’s done the country such an enormous service by being as open and as positive as he has been.

“From my own experience with cancer, I know how crucial it is to catch it as early as possible, so it is truly encouraging to see more people educating themselves about the symptoms of this awful disease.

“We are investing in research to find better ways of testing for prostate cancer, so that we can give people the best chances of survival”.