Former Newcastle, West Ham and Portsmouth goalkeeper Shaka Hislop has revealed he is undergoing treatment for prostate cancer, which has spread to his pelvic bone. The 56-year-old said he was diagnosed about 18 months ago after insisting on a PSA blood test during a routine check-up. Further scans confirmed an aggressive form of cancer, leading to a radical prostatectomy last December.
Six months later, rising PSA levels showed the cancer had returned and spread, prompting medication and a recent seven-and-a-half-week course of radiation therapy. Hislop said “the journey continues” but that treatment is ongoing.
His message comes shortly after UK screening advisers recommended against routine prostate cancer screening for most men, something Hislop challenged by urging people to advocate for their own testing.
“Doctors recommend that all men over 50 get their PSA checked, and at 40 if you’re of African descent,” he said. Stressing that family history alone isn’t a reliable indicator, he encouraged regular testing — especially for Caribbean men, who face the highest mortality rates.
“Please go get tested,” he urged. “Prostate cancer is survivable if caught early. Testing saves lives — it saved mine.”
