Former prime minister Rishi Sunak has said he is “honoured” to become an ambassador for a prostate cancer charity.
He will support Prostate Cancer Research’s campaign to introduce a national screening programme for men at high risk of the disease.
Last Thursday Mr Sunak met workers at the laboratories of British cancer diagnostics company Oxford BioDynamics, where they are working on a new blood test.
The EpiSwitch PSE test can detect prostate cancer with 94% accuracy, which is a “significant improvement” on the most commonly used PSA test, Prostate Cancer Research said.
The former Conservative leader said he was honoured to “support the charity’s mission to revolutionise diagnosis and treatment”.
He added: “Men tend to ignore pain hoping it’ll go away rather than going to see the GP, and that’s a part of the reason why prostate cancer is now the most commonly diagnosed cancer in males in the UK.
“We can do something about that. It is clear from a trial that I funded when I was in office, that early detection saves lives.
“Catching the cancer early drastically improved survival rates, however that survival rate drops by half if it’s caught late.
“A targeted national screening programme will help save many lives.”
The MP for Richmond and Northallerton added: “I hope my work as ambassador for Prostate Cancer Research will encourage more men to be able to speak about their experience with prostate cancer and get a screening test which will hopefully prevent further needless deaths.”
Last month in the Commons, he pressed the Government to consider increasing screenings for prostate cancer for high-risk groups.
More than nine out of 10 men who receive a positive EpiSwitch PSE result will have prostate cancer confirmed, said Iain Ross, executive chairman of Oxford BioDynamics.
This can “significantly cut” the number of “expensive and unnecessary MRI scans” and invasive prostate biopsies, he added.
Oliver Kemp, chief executive of Prostate Cancer Research, said Mr Sunak’s “ongoing support for our mission to revolutionise prostate cancer diagnosis and treatment is invaluable”.
He said: “Rishi’s advocacy will help us drive forward innovative research, challenge health inequalities, and ensure that more lives are saved.”
The EpiSwitch test is an example of “groundbreaking innovation” that could “transform early detection” and improve outcomes, he said.
Research that benefits patients aims to build a future where “a prostate cancer diagnosis is no longer something to fear”, he added.