When high-profile figures publicly discuss their prostate cancer, the public health impact can be immediate. The media coverage raises awareness. More men may seek information or medical advice.

We’ve seen a recent example, with media personality Jeremy Clarkson who last week revealed his prostate cancer diagnosis. This was followed by a spike in men going to Prostate Cancer UK’s website to check if they were at risk.

Other high-profile men to disclose their diagnoses include author and broadcaster Stephen Fry, actor Ben Stiller and former US president Joe Biden.

But such publicity can also have its downsides. It can skew our perception of prostate cancer, and who might actually benefit from testing and treatment.

Raising awareness has a trade-off

Prostate cancer remains a major cause of cancer death among men. And the increased attention that follows a public figure talking about their prostate cancer can help reduce stigma around men’s health and encourage conversations about symptoms.

Such public disclosures can draw attention to aggressive (fast growing) or metastatic (spreading) prostate cancer. Men who have never considered prostate health may be prompted to seek information or discuss their risk with a doctor. This can be particularly helpful for men at higher risk.

But most prostate cancers are not immediately life-threatening. You may have heard that many men “die with prostate cancer, not from it”.........

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