David Cameron, the former Prime Minister of the U.K., has been diagnosed with prostate cancer.
In a conversation with The Times, which was released on Sunday, November 23, Cameron, who is 59 years old, shared details regarding the diagnosis. It came after tests that Samantha Cameron, his wife, had encouraged him to take earlier in the year.
He told the publication, “One always hopes for the best outcome. A high PSA score – that likely means nothing. An MRI scan reveals a few dark spots. You think to yourself, ‘Oh, that’s probably fine.’ However, when the biopsy results come back indicating prostate cancer … you never want to hear those words. As the doctor speaks, you’re internally saying, ‘Oh, no, he’s about to say it. He’s definitely going to say it. Oh God, he said it.’” (According to the Mayo Clinic, a PSA test involves analyzing a blood sample to detect prostate cancer.)
David, who was the Prime Minister from 2010 until 2016, also mentioned that he underwent focal therapy to address the cancer. Cleveland Clinic describes this therapy as a “treatment approach utilizing different forms of energy, such as heat or cold, to eliminate cancer cells.”
He told the publication that he gave careful consideration to the choice to reveal his diagnosis. “I wish to, in a sense, step forward. I want to add my voice to those urging a focused screening [initiative],” David stated. “Discussing my personal health matters is not something I particularly enjoy, but I feel compelled to do so. Let’s face it. Men generally aren’t very good at discussing their health. We have a tendency to procrastinate.”
David also commented, “I have a platform. This is something that needs contemplation, dialogue, and if necessary, action.”
David and Samantha, who is 54, share four children. Their first son, Ivan, had Ohtahara syndrome, a rare kind of epilepsy affecting infants, according to the Child Neurology Foundation. He passed away when he was 6 years old.
The couple also has a daughter named Nancy, born in 2004, a son named Arthur, born in 2006, and a daughter named Florence, born in 2010.
In October 2024, David openly talked about Ivan’s passing during a Sky News interview. “Raising children is already challenging, but when you have a child who experiences daily seizures, requires feeding through a tube, and demands care both day and night, frequently going in and out of the hospital,” he said. “I still remember the mayhem… hospital visits, returns home, and then back again. I had just become a Member of Parliament [when Ivan was born]. I recall attending debates in the House of Commons utterly drained because I had spent the entire night at St Mary’s Paddington [hospital].”
He then reflected on the happiness his family was able to find while dealing with his son’s sickness. “I recall the incredible joy of having your first child. Despite all the challenges with seizures, cerebral palsy, and everything else – you still remember this wonderful, smiling child whom you would cradle, care for, and adore,” he expressed. “The remarkable aspect of grief is that initially, it feels like nothing but despair. However, with time, joyful memories do emerge.”
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