Sir Chris Hoy has said he is overwhelmed by the number of men who have gone for prostate cancer tests – and been diagnosed – after being inspired by his memoir.
The Olympian bravely revealed he had terminal cancer and had a life expectancy of two to four years in October.
Shortly after he released his memoir ‘All That Matters’ describing his cancer treatment and raw emotions during his battle with the disease so far.
The 48-year-old athlete shared an emotional video to Instagram, thanking people who had sent messages of support. He went on to reveal he had been contacted by many men who had read his book and went on to receive prostate cancer diagnosis themselves after going for tests.
He said: “Thank you to everyone that’s been in touch about my new book, ‘All that matters’. The response has been overwhelming.
“So many of you have sent messages to me and to Sarra, so thank you. We do read every single one, but we aren’t able to reply to every single one, so this is a message to you.
“We had no idea of the impact it would have, so many people have said it has helped them, going through a tough time and going through a similar diagnosis.
“And so many men have gone to their doctors to get checked out which is amazing to hear. Many of you have found that you have got prostate cancer because of going to the doctor to get checked and get tested. But everybody that messaged me and told me that has also found out they caught it early without any symptoms so that’s amazing.
“Hopefully you will have a positive outcome from that and get on with your lives. So thank you all, you’ve lifted me up! It wasn’t easy writing a book so personal but I think it’s justified by the response we’ve had.”
Charity Prostate Scotland credited the six-time Olympic cycling champion for his openness” about his diagnosis which has sparked an increased awareness of the disease.
The charity said this has been reflected in its website stats for the past month, with 5,600 new users visiting in the past month – a rise of 69%. Sir Chris revealed in October that his cancer is terminal.
Shortly after Sir Chris’s terminal stage 4 cancer diagnosis, his wife Lady Sarra was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis.
Sir Chris is also campaigning to have people take a PSA test in order to ensure early detection of prostate cancer. His appeal for earlier prostate cancer testing has prompted the Scottish Government to urge a review of screening for the killer disease.
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