Supporting a Loved One Battling Prostate Cancer
- The New England Patriots enter the Super Bowl fueled not just by momentum but by deep love for defensive coordinator Terrell Williams, 51, who was diagnosed with prostate cancer early in the season and is returning to the sidelines after months of treatment.
- Williams has not shared publicly how advanced his prostate cancer is or what subtype he is facing. Those details matter because the biology and stage of the disease guide how doctors treat it.
- Some men with low‑risk prostate cancer may be managed with active surveillance—regular monitoring rather than immediate intervention—while more aggressive or advanced cancers typically require more intensive treatment approaches, which may include surgery, radiation, and/or hormonal therapy. Each treatment method comes with potential side effects such as sexual dysfunction and urinary incontinence.
- Screening often begins with a prostate-specific antigen (PSA) blood test. This test measures PSA levels in the blood, and higher levels can indicate cancer. A digital rectal exam (DRE) to check your prostate for lumps may also be performed.
- Abnormal results don’t always indicate cancer, but may prompt follow‑up imaging or a biopsy for a clearer diagnosis.
- The United States Preventive Services Task Force recommends that men at average risk between the ages of 55 and 69 years talk with their doctor about the pros and cons of prostate cancer screening.
- The American Cancer Society recommends that men aged 50 who are at average risk begin screening. Men who are at high risk of prostate cancer should begin screening at age 40. Men with a close relative diagnosed with prostate cancer should consider annual screenings in their 30s.
- “There is a recommendation, however, to start that screening as young as 40 in men who are high-risk. Now, who are those men? [Those with] family history and African-American men,” Dr. Shirin Razdann at the Comprehensive Urological Surgery Institute says.
After months away battling cancer, Williams will stand with them on the Super Bowl sidelines, a presence his players say lifts their spirits as much as any game plan.
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WATCH: Finding Hope During The Prostate Cancer Journey
Prostate cancer, the most common cancer among men, begins in the walnut-sized gland located between the bladder and rectum. This gland produces fluid that nourishes sperm, and regular screenings often catch issues before symptoms appear.
Prostate cancer is very treatable when caught early — and thanks to incredible advances in treatment options, even prostate cancer that is caught in advanced stages can often be managed.
A long-standing prostate screening tool is the protein-specific antigen (PSA) test. This test screens for prostate cancer by looking for larger amounts of protein-specific antigen in the blood. An elevated PSA test does not always mean prostate cancer, but it could indicate a man’s cancer risk is higher or lower.
WATCH: What Happens If My PSA Test Is Elevated?
“PSA screening should begin around the age of 45 to 50 and can be done every two to four years, although I believe most urologists and primary care physicians do an annual screening,” Dr. Shirin Razdan, director of the robotic surgery department at the Comprehensive Urological Surgery Institute in Miami, tells SurvivorNet.
“There is a recommendation, however, to start that screening as young as 40 in men who are high-risk. Now, who are those men? [Those with] family history and African-American men,” she adds.
Currently, widely supported recommendations are:
- Men aged 55 to 69 are the group most likely to benefit from PSA screening. If you are in this age range, discuss screening with your doctor.
- Men younger than 55 with high risk — which includes those with a strong family history, African American men, or those with known genetic mutations (like BRCA1 or BRCA2) — may need to start screening earlier, even in their 40s.
- For men age 70 and older, routine screening is generally not recommended unless you are in excellent health and have a long life expectancy.
There are both benefits and risks to undergoing regular PSA screening. Benefits include:
- May detect cancer before it spreads
- Offers the possibility of early treatment with curative intent
- Can provide peace of mind for high-risk individuals
Risks include:
- False positives that may lead to unnecessary biopsies
- Detection of indolent cancers that would never cause harm
- Psychological stress from ambiguous results
Details of Williams’ diagnosis and treatment remain private, but his rare appearances have only strengthened the team’s determination to show up for him the way he has always shown up for them.
“First off, battling what he had to battle through… we’re glad that he’s feeling way better,” cornerback Marcus Jones told the Boston Herald, grateful that their beloved defensive coordinator will be by their side — not just as a coach, but as family.
Ahead of Super Bowl LX, the NFL has partnered with drugmaker Novartis to launch a prostate cancer awareness campaign, where they focused on the importance of prostate cancer screenings.
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“Relax, it’s a blood test,’ cuts through stigma and addresses the anxieties and misperceptions that can cause men to avoid prostate cancer screening,” Novartis said in a press release.
Expert Resources for Prostate Cancer Awareness
- ‘A Profound Effect’: Treating Advanced Prostate Cancer With Hormone Therapy
- ‘Early Detection Can Be the Key’: National Guard Vet & Prostate Cancer Survivor Urges Others to Get Screened
- ‘Men Beating The Odds’: A Groundbreaking Film Series That Celebrates Resilience After Prostate Cancer
- Balancing Treatment and Quality of Life: What Men Should Know About Prostate Cancer Care
- How Doctors Use Risk Assessing System To Determine Best Prostate Cancer Treatment Approach
Prostate Cancer Screening and Warning Signs
When you do get screened for prostate cancer, your doctor will run a few tests.
One of the tests is the PSA test, a simple blood test that screens for prostate cancer. It looks for more significant amounts of protein-specific antigen (PSA) in the blood. An elevated PSA test does not always mean you have prostate cancer. It could also reflect that your prostate is enlarged, which is common, or it could signal an infection or inflammation.
Your doctor may also conduct a digital rectal exam (DRE) to check your prostate for lumps.
Depending on the results of these tests, imaging scans and a biopsy may be ordered.
WATCH: How Gleason Grade Determines Treatment
Prostate cancer does not always behave the same in every man it impacts. The cancer can be considered “low-risk” and can be slow-growing, and treatment might not be necessary. In other men, the cancer may grow faster or more aggressively, requiring more immediate treatment. Because of this, there is some debate about screening.
The United States Preventive Services Task Force recommends that men at average risk between the ages of 55 and 69 years talk with their doctor about the pros and cons of prostate cancer screening.
The American Cancer Society recommends that men at age 50 who are at average risk should begin screening. Men who are at high risk of prostate cancer should begin screening at age 40. Men with a close relative diagnosed with prostate cancer should consider annual screenings in their 30s.
SurvivorNet experts suggested that men consider factors like their family history, genes, and age when deciding whether and when to screen.
Symptoms of prostate cancer may include:
- Urinating more often
- Waking up in the middle of the night to pee
- Blood in your urine
- Trouble getting an erection
- Pain or burning when you urinate
- Pain in your back, hips, thighs, or other bones
- Unexplained weight loss
- Fatigue
If You’re Diagnosed With Prostate Cancer, What to Expect for Treatment?
After testing and establishing your risk, your doctor will discuss possible treatment options. These may range from active surveillance to more aggressive options, including surgery and radiation therapy.
WATCH: Coping emotionally after a prostate cancer diagnosis
Surgery is an option for men with any risk group of prostate cancer that hasn’t spread outside of the prostate gland. The type of surgery most often used is called a radical prostatectomy.
During the procedure, the surgeon removes the entire prostate, along with some tissue around it, including the seminal vesicles that release fluid into the semen. Your doctor can perform this through a traditional open procedure with one large or several small incisions, called laparoscopic surgery.
WATCH: Sexual Function Recovery After Prostate Cancer Surgery
Surgery side effects may include erectile dysfunction and urinary incontinence. Fortunately, the side effects are usually temporary, and there are ways to help you manage them.
“Erectile function is so sensitive when we’re dealing with prostate cancer because the nerves that are critical for this function wrap around the prostate; they’re just so intimately connected to the prostate that they can be damaged from a surgical removal of the prostate or through radiation treatment,” Dr. Isla Garraway, a staff urologist in the Veterans Administration (VA) Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System, told SurvivorNet.
Doctors often recommend sexual counseling after prostate cancer treatment to help improve sexual function. This approach actively addresses the psychological, emotional, and relationship impacts on sexual health.
Radiation therapy is often done when prostate cancer is caught early and confined to the prostate gland.
Prostate Health Among Black Men
The Prostate Cancer Foundation (PCF) has cancer screening guidelines with Black men in mind.
Since Black men tend to be diagnosed with prostate cancer at younger ages compared to other racial groups, the new guidelines state Black men should consider screening at 40 years old since this demographic group is regarded as a “high-risk population.”
WATCH: How to Address Racial Disparities in Cancer Care
“Few guidelines have outlined specific recommendations for prostate-specific antigen (PSA)-based prostate cancer screening among Black men,” researchers for PCF said in its report published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.
“Discussions with health care providers about baseline PSA testing should begin by the time Black men are in their early 40s, and modeling data suggest prostate cancer develops 3-9 years earlier in Black men compared to their peers. Lowering the age for baseline PSA testing from 50-55 years to 40-45, followed by regular screening intervals until the age of 70, would reduce prostate cancer mortality in Black men,” the PCF said in its report.
RELATED: Black Men May Be More Susceptible To Advanced Cancer Due to Biomarkers in the DNA, Study Says
SurvivorNet holds an annual Close the Gap conference to educate, spread awareness, and ultimately work to eliminate racial disparities in cancer care. Our efforts aim to ensure everyone has access to education about cancer, screening recommendations, treatment options, clinical trials, and more.
Questions for Your Doctor
If you have experienced symptoms associated with prostate cancer or have a screening coming up, here are some questions you may ask your doctor:
- If I had elevated PSA levels, what could be causing that besides cancer?
- How long will it take to learn if my PSA levels warrant further testing?
- What are the treatment options that are best suited for me based on my risk level?
- What financial resources exist to help me with the costs associated with treatment?
- How long will my potential treatment prevent me from working or continuing normal activities?
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