The Oscar-winning film director and artist Steve McQueen has revealed that he paused the filming of his latest production Blitz in order to be treated for prostate cancer.
McQueen, whose father died of the disease in 2006, has spoken for the first time about his own treatment, which led to a tumour being removed in November 2022.
He said: “As a Black man, I knew that risk was even higher. For a number of years I had been proactive in getting tested. I underwent regular MRI scans and PSA tests. Thankfully, my cancer was detected very early.”
McQueen delayed the production of Blitz by two weeks before returning, and didn’t tell the cast and crew so they weren’t distracted. “It was challenging, but I count myself as one of the lucky ones. I’m also fortunate enough to have a loving family to support me,” he said.
McQueen, who has fully recovered, released the statement after attending an event at the House of Commons to support Prostate Cancer Research.
David Lammy, the foreign secretary, Josh Babarinde, a Liberal Democrat MP, and the Conservative former minister James Cleverly co-hosted the event, which launched a Prostate Cancer Research report calling for a targeted national prostate cancer screening programme.
The main focus of the campaign is to address the disproportionate impact of the disease on Black men, while also trying to reduce the large number of undiagnosed cases.
Earlier this year scientists discovered genetic mutations that could help explain why Black men are at higher risk of developing prostate cancer than men of other ethnicities. Black men are twice as likely to be diagnosed and 2.5 times more likely to die from the disease compared with white men.
More than a million men worldwide are diagnosed with prostate cancer each year. The chances of survival are relatively good: many can live for decades without symptoms or needing treatment.
McQueen said: “When caught early, survival rates are extremely high, but if diagnosed late, survival rates drop dramatically. That’s why I’m speaking out today. It’s vital that we address the urgent need for a national prostate cancer screening programme – a step that could save countless lives if only we had the political will to make it happen. It’s appalling that so many men are left to navigate this on their own.”
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