Marine Corps Combat Vet Who Said ‘Nothing’s Scarier Than Cancer’ Now Uses Experience To Help Other Vets Battling the Disease

Milstead was a tech helicopter pilot, but he considers his title as a prostate cancer survivor slightly more significant. He recalled a point in time when he was slated to testify before Congress but had to miss the hearing because he was in the hospital.

A military reporter concerned about Milstead’s whereabouts queried his notable absence.

“He said, ‘Hey, why is General Milstead in the hospital?’ And my public affairs people came to me, and they said, ‘Hey, he’s sniffing around. Is it okay to tell him?’ And I said, absolutely,” Milstead said.

Milstead’s decision to be interviewed about his prostate cancer journey caught the attention of many people across the country.

“A lot of people picked it up, and my phone would ring…’Hey, I’ve been told I have prostate cancer; what do I do?’ And I talked to them. So, it allowed me to do a little mentoring, and it’s been 11 years since they cut the walnut out. And I’m still talking to people, and I’m reaching out to people and working them through it,” Milstead said.

WATCH: What to know about prostate cancer screening.

Milstead urges his fellow veterans diagnosed with prostate cancer to tap into their support system, most notably their family. He believes talking to his wife helped him immensely as they collectively navigated treatment.

“I did it in concert with her and made her a part of the team because we are a team,” he said.

He also leaned into his faith to help him through his prostate cancer journey.

“So, I’ll ask a guy, I’ll say, tell me about your faith. So, that made a big difference for me,” Milstead added.

The three-star general takes pride that his mission in life is to aid other men, especially veterans, through prostate cancer.

“Know that there’s hope, there’s a life after surgery or radiation or after cancer. To be a survivor is a beautiful thing,” Milstead said.

“The key to it is finding it early and loosening the stigma,” he added.

Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men, other than skin cancer. It starts in the walnut-shaped prostate gland, located between the rectum and bladder, that produces the fluid that nourishes sperm, and can spread to other parts of the body.

Most prostate cancer is usually caught through screening.

When you get screened for prostate cancer, your doctor will determine your risk level by running a few tests.

One of the tests is the PSA test, a simple blood test that looks for an elevated amount of  the protein prostate-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, your doctor may order imaging scans and a biopsy — the removal of a small amount of tissue to test for the presence of cancer.

After testing is compete, your doctor analyzes the results to give you a Gleason Score. This score ranges from 6 to 10. The higher the score, the more aggressive the cancer.

Th Gleason Score, along with your other test results, helps doctors determine if your cancer is “low risk,” “intermediate risk,” or “high risk.”

Discuss your options with your care team.  Recommended treatment will depend on your risk scores as well as other health factors.

Learn more about SurvivorNet's rigorous medical review process.

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