Lord Kirkham (Con)

My Lords, I am able to speak today only because of a chance discussion 18 years ago during a general health check-up in the USA. This led to a positive prostate cancer test back here in the UK, which gave me the opportunity to radically improve my health and extend the length and quality of my life. That is why I fervently believe in early intervention via simple, non-invasive testing to provide others with the same opportunity. Prostate cancer is now the most commonly diagnosed cancer in England. That is actually good news, as it shows that awareness campaigns are working, and more men have been diagnosed while the disease is still treatable. But 17% of those positively diagnosed in 2023 have stage 4 cancer that has spread, becoming incurable and life-shortening. As we have already heard, those at the highest risk are well-defined. They may have a strong family history of the disease, be of Afro-Caribbean heritage or with a genetic predisposition, and they can be simply targeted by GPs. Men are reluctant to get tested because it hits right at the centre of what it means to be a man, involving deep personal issues such as incontinence, fertility, libido and sexual function. The fact that early-stage localised prostate cancer rarely gives rise to any symptoms makes proactive discussion with a GP vital, and it is why it should become part of routine health awareness and NHS care. PSA is a simple blood test that costs only a few pounds. It is not perfect, but it is a good starting point to detect men who need secondary testing. It is blatantly obvious that GPs should proactively discuss PSA testing with higher-risk men and inform them of their right to a test. It could save many, many lives.