Jeremy Clarkson, Sir Stephen Fry and a number of other high-profile figures have called on the UK’s new Health Secretary Yvette Cooper to reconsider the country’s approach to prostate cancer screening.
Former Prime Ministers David Cameron and Rishi Sunak are among those who have signed an open letter to Cooper, who was appointed Health Secretary in July.
The group says they are “united by a shared belief that no man in this country should die of a cancer that could have been caught in time.”
The letter comes after the UK National Screening Committee ruled in May that prostate cancer screening should be restricted to around 1,500 men aged between 45 and 61 who have a particular genetic mutation as well as a family history of an associated cancer.
The signatories have criticised the decision, arguing that other men who may also be at high risk will not have guaranteed access to testing.
“Everyone else at high risk doesn't have guaranteed access to a test that could save their life,” the letter states.
“We believe that's wrong, and that you, as Secretary of State, have both the evidence and the power to overturn the ruling.”
Prostate cancer is the most common cancer among men in Britain, with around 63,000 cases diagnosed and 12,000 deaths recorded each year.
The campaigners say greater access to testing could help identify prostate cancer earlier, when treatment can be more effective.
Prostate cancer can develop without obvious symptoms in its early stages, meaning some men may not realise they have it until the disease has progressed.
The letter is calling for the government to look again at the evidence surrounding screening and consider whether more men should have access to testing.
Clarkson and Fry have both previously spoken publicly about health issues and cancer awareness, using their public profiles to encourage men to take their health seriously.
The campaigners are now urging Cooper to act on what they describe as an opportunity to “change the story on prostate cancer” and reconsider the screening committee's decision.
