Lord Rogan, who received the all-clear after being diagnosed with prostate cancer, has called for men aged 50 and over in Northern Ireland to increase their chances of combatting the disease by requesting a PSA blood test from their GP.
Speaking during a debate in the House of Lords last night, he told peers that prostate cancer is now Northern Ireland’s most common cancer, and yet is the only major cancer without a national screening programme.
He said: “According to the latest statistics, more than 1,300 men are diagnosed with prostate cancer every year in Northern Ireland, with almost 300 men in the Province dying annually from the disease. At present, more than 12,000 men are living with and after prostate cancer in Northern Ireland.”
He added: “I am one of them.”
The former Ulster Unionist Party President said he was extremely grateful to the National Health Service in Belfast for the treatment he had received, and paid tribute to his consultants, Mr Benson, Miss McBride and Miss Shum, for enabling him to recover.
Lord Rogan continued: “While we do not have a national PSA screening programme, it must be pointed out that that exists in some countries, including Lithuania and the Czech Republic, with many other nations, including the Republic of Ireland, conducting pilot schemes. That said, men living in the UK aged 50 and over can request a PSA test through their GP.”
He told the House that, in recent weeks, former news presenter Dermot Murnaghan – who was educated in Northern Ireland – had gone public with his own stage four prostate cancer diagnosis.
Lord Rogan said: “In the continued absence of a screening programme, Mr Murnaghan advised men of a certain age to ‘go and demand it.’ I fully endorse that call.”
He added: “Mr Murnaghan is planning to join six-time Olympic cycling gold medallist Sir Chris Hoy, who was diagnosed with stage four prostate cancer two years ago, on a charity bike ride to raise money for the cancer charities and raise awareness. I wish both men well with their heroic endeavours and with their treatment.
