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Business Insider
3 days ago
- General
- Business Insider
My doctor said I didn't need to screen for prostate cancer until my 50s. I was diagnosed at 49.
This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Eric Morrow, a prostate cancer survivor, US Air Force veteran, and volunteer advocate for Zero Prostate Cancer, a nonprofit focused on supporting patients and eliminating prostate cancer. It's been edited for length and clarity. I was diagnosed with prostate cancer on June 8, 2021, at 49. It was shortly before my 50th birthday. I'll admit I did not know a lot about prostate cancer then. I knew it was fairly common and, to the best of my knowledge at the time, I thought it primarily affected older men in their 70s and 80s. Five years prior, in 2016, I'd learned that my father had previously had prostate cancer and that he was in remission after being successfully treated. So, the next time I saw my primary care physician, who was assigned to me through the Air Force, I told her about my family history and asked if I should get checked for prostate cancer. She said that I was too young and didn't need to worry about getting screened until my 50s. The phone call that probably saved my life In 2020, my PCP said I was old enough to have a colonoscopy to check for colon cancer. That's when it all started. After my colonoscopy, the gastroenterologist said my colon looked great, but my prostate looked a little enlarged, and I should schedule an appointment with a urologist. I had no other symptoms to suggest I had prostate cancer. Also, this was during the height of the pandemic. I got distracted by work and didn't make the appointment immediately. I was really lucky that the doctor called me back a month later to see if I'd seen the urologist. It was a really simple follow-up, but that phone call prompted me to make the appointment and probably saved my life. My PSA level was in the hundreds The urologist scheduled me for a digital rectal exam and an MRI, and then drew my blood for a PSA test, which measures specific proteins in the blood to identify possible prostate cancer. I got a call a few hours later about my PSA level. I was told that anything over four would be a concern for a man of my age. My PSA level was 225. The urologist said there could be many reasons for my extremely high PSA levels, but a later biopsy revealed that I had prostate cancer with a Gleason score, which measures how aggressive the cancer is, of nine. The highest the scale goes is 10. I got the trifecta of treatment: surgery, radiation, and pills I was lucky enough that the Department of Defense's Center for Prostate Disease Research at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland, was nearby, and my case was aggressive enough to qualify for their treatment. There, I had a cancer team including a urologic oncologist and radiation oncologist who recommended a multi-step treatment involving surgery, radiation therapy, and hormone therapy to turn off testosterone production in my body. I started surgery in July 2021, after which I had issues with incontinence. Despite physical therapy to improve it, I never regained full control of my bladder. This made the radiation therapy, which came about five-and-a-half months later, very challenging. Each time, I had to come in with an empty rectum and a full bladder. The full bladder basically pushes the rectum, so it's not as much in the field where they're going to shoot with radiation. Each of the 39 radiation sessions I completed only lasts about 15 minutes, but I had a hard time getting my bladder full enough and then holding it long enough for the therapy. To get through it, I'd play a game with myself: They had music going, and I would just listen to the music and try to memorize it. Then, I went on Facebook afterward and posted a list of all the songs — it became my "Playlist of the day" for friends and family. The androgen deprivation therapy, aka hormone therapy, was a shot that I got every three months, along with pills that I was taking every day. I did this therapy for about 24 months. The side effects were pretty harsh. I experienced hot flashes, mood swings, additional abdominal fat, loss of muscle mass and bone density, and it killed my libido. I got back into lifting weights that I hadn't been doing for probably more than a decade, and that helped minimize some of the weight gain and muscle loss. Since coming off hormone therapy, my testosterone has luckily gone back to pre-treatment levels, and my PSA level has remained undetectable. I quit my job after getting cancer I wouldn't wish cancer on anybody, but the one thing it does give you is perspective. I realized I wanted to do something more. So in December of 2022, I left my job with a medical device company I'd been with for over nine years. I was ready to give back to the prostate cancer community. I'm now doing a lot of work on a year-round basis with Zero Prostate Cancer. I also volunteer at Walter Reed, where I received my cancer treatment. I also speak with new prostate cancer patients and try to give them hope. I tell them, "Four years ago, I was sitting right where you are and I thought I was going to die. But I'm still here, and I'm doing OK."
19-05-2025
- Health
Why Biden may not have known about his 'aggressive' prostate cancer until recently
Former President Joe Biden's office announced on Sunday that he was diagnosed with an "aggressive" form of prostate cancer. Biden's office also said the cancer had metastasized, spreading to his bones. Although some people were left wondering why the cancer was caught only after reaching a Gleason score of 9, oncology experts told ABC News that it's not uncommon for older prostate cancer patients to receive a diagnosis after the disease has advanced or spread. "Prostate cancer is something that we always hope screening will identify early, when the cancer is all still inside the prostate," Dr. Alicia Morgans, a genitourinary medical oncologist at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston and a member of the board of directors of the no-profit Zero Prostate Cancer, told ABC News. "Even if we screen everybody perfectly, there will never be 100% detection of prostate cancer because, in truth, cancer does not follow a rule book," Morgans continued. "And just because we are trying to catch it early doesn't mean it necessarily is present when we screen." PSA levels may not have been checked One screening test for prostate cancer involves a blood test that measures the level of prostate-specific antigens, which are proteins made by cells in the prostate gland. Although there is no cutoff level that clearly indicates the presence of cancer, many doctors use a cutoff of 4 nanograms per milliliter to recommend further tests with a urologist, according to the American Cancer Society. For an advanced form of cancer like Biden's, a recent PSA test would have likely shown elevated levels. However, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommends against PSA-based screening for men age 70 and older due to harms such as false positives leading to more tests or a diagnosis of problems that would not have caused symptoms or death. Morgans said it's unclear what the former president and his doctor discussed regarding screening, but it's plausible that he did not undergo PSA screening. "It is absolutely possible that President Biden, like so many men over that age, have decided to stop doing PSA screening because they've decided that it is not consistent with their overall health goals and wishes, and that is completely reasonable," Morgans said. Cancer could have grown rapidly Morgans said some men in their 70s and 80s do still undergo PSA screening for prostate cancer based on conversations with their primary care physicians and what's right for them. Even so, it's possible that the results were normal -- either due to a false negative or because their cancer was not present at the time, she said. "Prostate cancer can develop between screening tests," Morgans said. "It doesn't necessarily grow super slowly. It can develop between screenings, and it can be aggressive when it does develop; that doesn't mean it's not treatable." Screening results could have been borderline Dr. Alan Bryce, chief clinical officer for City of Hope Cancer Center Phoenix, said there may be some patients who receive PSA screening results showing borderline-high results who decide not to pursue further testing. "There are absolutely scenarios where that conversation happens with a patient or their family member," Bryce told ABC News. "All of them might say, 'You know what? Given where we're at in life, we're not that worried about this. Let's go ahead and wait another year.'" Bryce, a medical oncologist specializing in prostate and testicular cancers, added that shared decision-making is important when it comes to deciding if a patient wants to pursue prostate cancer screening -- and if they want to test further following test results that are abnormal. "As physicians, we present patients with options and recommendations but, at the end of the day, it's still the patient's decision," he said. "So, it's entirely possible that a conversation happens and the patient decides they don't want to proceed with further workup. Maybe they don't want to do a scan, maybe they don't want to do a biopsy." No symptoms present Advanced prostate cancer can present symptoms such as a weak urination stream; needing to urinate more often; erectile dysfunction; fatigue; weight loss; loss of bladder or bowel control; and pain in the ribs, hips and spine when the cancer had spread to the bones, according to the ACS. Morgans said just because a patient has advanced prostate cancer, it doesn't necessarily mean that they will exhibit symptoms. "I would say that it's more common than not that people sit in my office and tell me, 'You know, I don't have any symptoms. I don't understand how I have this cancer. I certainly don't understand how it could have spread outside of my prostate,'" Morgans said. "It is very common for people to be completely asymptomatic." Bryce added that some symptoms, such as difficulty urinating or a weak urination stream, may be due to an enlarged prostate, which is common in older men. "It is entirely normal that in older men, there is a degree of urinary obstruction that just happens with age," he said. "It's entirely possible that a man just has normal symptoms associated with aging and nothing about it stands out as being related to a cancerous process."
Mint
19-05-2025
- Health
- Mint
Joe Biden's prostate cancer diagnosis: How much has it spread? What are the symptoms?
Former US President Joe Biden has been diagnosed with an aggressive type of prostate cancer, according to a statement from his office. Last week, Biden was admitted to a hospital in Philadelphia, where doctors identified a 'small nodule' on his prostate that needed additional evaluation. The 82-year-old former president had been dealing with urinary symptoms, his office reported on Sunday. According to a report by the World Health Organization (WHO), Prostate cancer usually first causes symptoms by simply reducing the flow of urine, which leads to poor stream size, dribbling and the need to pass urine several times during the night. 'There may also be blood in the urine. Of course, benign prostate enlargement is very common and causes the same symptoms. The only ways to distinguish one from the other are by a biopsy and by PSA,' it added. In more advanced cases, prostate cancer can spread (metastasize) to bones or lymph nodes, causing: Bone pain (especially in the hips, back, or thighs), Unexplained weight loss, and Fatigue. According to spokesperson Kelly Scully, the cancer had spread to the bone—a development seen in roughly 60% of advanced prostate cancer cases, based on data from the health organization Zero Prostate Cancer. Scully also noted that Biden's cancer had a Gleason score of 9, which indicates a highly aggressive form of the disease. The Gleason scoring system is used to measure how likely prostate cancer is to grow and spread, with a score of 9 signalling a fast-growing and potentially more dangerous cancer. 'While this represents a more aggressive form of the disease, the cancer appears to be hormone-sensitive which allows for effective management,' Scully said, as reported by Bloomberg. 'The president and his family are reviewing treatment options with his physicians.' Since his cancer is hormone-sensitive, it may still respond to hormone therapy, which works by blocking the production or action of testosterone—an essential hormone for prostate cancer growth, the report said. For advanced prostate cancer, treatment options typically include hormone therapy, chemotherapy, radiation, or a combination of these approaches. Hormone therapy can help manage the disease and ease symptoms, while chemotherapy is generally considered when the cancer is aggressive or no longer responds to hormone-based treatments. 'While this represents a more aggressive form of the disease, the cancer appears to be hormone-sensitive which allows for effective management,' Scully said. 'The president and his family are reviewing treatment options with his physicians.' Because his cancer is hormone-sensitive, it may still respond to hormone therapy, which involves stopping testosterone from being made or reaching cancer cells. Prostate issues, including cancer, are common in older men. Biden was the oldest serving president in US history. The issue of Biden's age has arisen again because of the book's imminent publication as well as the release by Axios of the audio from Biden's 2023 interviews with special counsel Robert Hur, who at the time described Biden as 'an elderly man with a poor memory.' Since stepping down from office, Biden has largely stayed out of the public eye, only speaking out following President Donald Trump's first 100 days. However, with the upcoming release of his book, he has begun appearing in more interviews, including on programs like ABC's The View, where—even in a typically favourable environment—he faced questions about his age. While this represents a more aggressive form of the disease, the cancer appears to be hormone-sensitive which allows for effective management. Cancer has been a deeply personal issue for Biden. In 2015, his son Beau died after battling brain cancer. During his time as president, Biden led the 'cancer moonshot' initiative, advocating for greater investment in cancer research and efforts to accelerate the search for a cure, Bloomberg reported. (With inputs from Bloomberg)
Business Times
18-05-2025
- Health
- Business Times
Biden diagnosed with ‘aggressive' form of prostate cancer
FORMER US President Joe Biden has been diagnosed with an aggressive form of prostate cancer, his office announced. Biden was in a Philadelphia hospital last week, where doctors discovered a 'small nodule' on his prostate that they said required further examination. The former president, 82, had been experiencing urinary symptoms, his office said in a statement Sunday. The cancer had metastasised to the bone, spokesperson Kelly Scully said in the statement. This is fairly common in patients with advanced prostate cancer, occurring in about 60 per cent of cases, according to the health group Zero Prostate Cancer. Scully's statement also said that his cancer was 'characterised by a Gleason score of 9.' The Gleason grading system is used to assess how aggressive a prostate cancer is, with a score of 9 indicating the cancer is very aggressive and likely to grow and spread quickly. 'While this represents a more aggressive form of the disease, the cancer appears to be hormone-sensitive which allows for effective management,' Scully said. 'The president and his family are reviewing treatment options with his physicians.' BT in your inbox Start and end each day with the latest news stories and analyses delivered straight to your inbox. Sign Up Sign Up Because his cancer is hormone sensitive, it may still respond to hormone therapy, which involves stopping testosterone from being made or reaching cancer cells. Prostate issues, including cancer, are common in older men. Biden was the oldest serving president in US history. The cancer news comes as Biden's post-presidential life has been dogged by revelations in a new book about his declining mental faculties during his presidency and aides' efforts to gloss them over. Since excerpts of the book have been released, Democrats have been debating their role in keeping him as the 2024 presidential nominee despite voter concerns about his age. The issue of Biden's age has arisen again because of the book's imminent publication as well as the release by Axios of the audio from Biden's 2023 interviews with special counsel Robert Hur, who at the time described Biden as 'an elderly man with a poor memory.' In July the Biden administration was grappling with questions about frequent visits to the White House by a Parkinson's specialist. Since leaving office, Biden has kept a low profile, publicly speaking after President Donald Trump's 100 days in office. But as the book's publication nears, Biden has also taken to doing interviews on shows such as ABC's The View, where even in that friendly environment he was asked about his age. Cancer has been an important issue to Biden. His son Beau died in 2015 after battling brain cancer. And Biden worked on a 'cancer moonshot' initiative during his presidency, working for more research funding to fight cancer. BLOOMBERG
Forbes
08-04-2025
- Health
- Forbes
Mathew Knowles Speaks Out To Help Save Black Men From Prostate Cancer
Prostate cancer is the second most common cancer among men in the United States, with nearly 1 in 8 men being diagnosed in their lifetime. However, for Black men, the risk is even more pronounced. Studies show that Black men are twice as likely to die from prostate cancer compared to their white counterparts. This disparity in outcomes is a critical public health issue, one that has long been overlooked. In a powerful conversation with Mathew Knowles, the music mogul known for his pioneering work in the industry, and Courtney Bugler, the CEO of Zero Prostate Cancer, we discussed the need for increased awareness, education and support for Black men at risk of prostate cancer. Mathew Knowles, best known for his success in the music world, has a personal connection to prostate cancer that goes beyond his professional endeavors. "My grandfather died of prostate cancer, and four of my five uncles passed from it," Knowles shared. "I also found out that I'm BRCA2 mutated, which means I have a higher risk of prostate cancer, along with pancreatic cancer, male breast cancer, and melanoma." In December of last year, Knowles faced a new scare when his PSA (Prostate-Specific Antigen) levels were higher than normal. While he was fortunate to receive the all-clear after further testing, his experience underscored the importance of regular screening and early detection. Prostate cancer, when detected early, can often be treated successfully, yet many men delay or avoid testing due to misconceptions and stigma. Courtney Bugler, CEO of Zero Prostate Cancer, emphasized the urgency of addressing these issues in the Black community. "What most people don't realize is that prostate cancer is diagnosed as frequently as breast cancer, yet it doesn't have the same level of public awareness or support," Bugler noted. "For Black men, the risk is even higher. They're diagnosed younger, and the cancer can be more aggressive." Cultural barriers and a pervasive stigma surrounding men's health are major obstacles to addressing prostate cancer. In many Black communities, a culture of silence around health issues and the traditional idea of "manning up" can prevent men from seeking the care they need. "The truth is, Black men often avoid health screenings because of fear or misinformation," Knowles explained. "We still think of the old, painful prostate exam, but that's not the reality today. It's a simple needle test, and it only takes about 10 seconds." To address this stigma, Knowles and Bugler are advocating for an open, candid conversation about prostate cancer, much like the awareness campaigns that have helped bring breast cancer into the spotlight. "We need to go to barbershops, churches, and fraternities," Knowles stressed. "We need to be loud and clear that early detection saves lives. Our goal is to save 100,000 lives in the next decade." One of the most promising steps in addressing the crisis is Zero Prostate Cancer's "Blitz The Barriers" initiative. This $20 million campaign is designed to address the healthcare disparities that affect Black men and other high-risk populations. "At Zero, we are targeting communities with the greatest needs," Bugler said. "Nationally, Black men are twice as likely to die from prostate cancer than white men. In cities like Atlanta, that number can be as high as five times greater." The initiative focuses on increasing access to screenings and education in these underserved areas, working directly with local healthcare providers to ensure that people understand their risk and have the resources they need to take action. "Early detection is key," Bugler continued. "There are more options for treatment when prostate cancer is caught early. And through initiatives like Blitz the Barriers, we're giving men the tools they need to live longer, healthier lives." Knowles' own story highlights the importance of early detection. "I was fortunate to be diagnosed with male breast cancer at Stage 1A, which is early enough to avoid chemotherapy and radiation. Instead, I took a pill for five years every day. The difference between finding cancer early and finding it late is monumental," he said. Both Knowles and Bugler stressed that lifestyle changes also play a critical role in health outcomes. "It's not just about getting screened. It's about taking care of your body every day," Knowles added. "I've made significant lifestyle changes, from losing weight to making exercise a daily habit. I want to live, and I'm doing everything I can to make sure that happens." One of the major challenges in addressing prostate cancer in high-risk communities is building trust. Historically, healthcare providers and public health campaigns have had limited success in reaching these populations, particularly when it comes to issues like prostate cancer that are seen as taboo. "We need to be authentic in our approach," Bugler explained. "We're working with local partners who already have the trust of their communities. By partnering with grassroots organizations, we can ensure that the message about prostate cancer awareness and early detection is heard loud and clear." Knowles also emphasized the importance of engaging with the Black community on a personal level. 'We want to speak directly to people, not just lecture them from the outside. We need to go into neighborhoods, into churches, into the places where Black men gather and talk to them about prostate cancer in a way that resonates with their lives.' As our conversation concluded, both Knowles and Bugler made a heartfelt call to action. "I want men to take control of their health," Knowles urged. "You have the power to make a difference in your life. Get checked, know your family history and take the necessary steps to protect your health." Bugler echoed this sentiment: "We want everyone to understand that prostate cancer is preventable, and when caught early, it's treatable. But we need everyone to get involved—whether you're a man at risk or someone who loves and cares for them." If you want to support the fight against prostate cancer or get involved in the Blitz the Barriers initiative, you can visit to learn more about ways to volunteer, donate, or partner with the organization. You can also follow Matthew Knowles' efforts and schedule him for speaking engagements at By raising awareness, breaking down cultural stigmas, and promoting early detection, we can make significant strides in reducing the impact of prostate cancer on Black men. As Matthew Knowles said, "It's time to take control of our health. Together, we can save lives."
