OJ Simpson, 76, Like So Many Older Men, Has Reportedly Been Diagnosed with Prostate Cancer and May Be Undergoing Treatment

RELATED: ‘Up in Smoke’ Actor Tommy Chong, 85, On Using Cannabis to Get Through Prostate Cancer Treatment

Simpson took to X (formerly Twitter) on Friday to post a video of himself behind the wheel of his car, telling the camera that he is not in hospice, as he’s been seeing and hearing rumors. Simpson, who wore a dark sporty jacket and a white golf visor, also said he’s hosting a “ton of friends” at his home for a Super Bowl bash on Sunday and “all is well.”

Hospice??? pic.twitter.com/OXLzs9jWO6

— O.J. Simpson (@TheRealOJ32) February 9, 2024

Though the San Francisco native stated he’s not in hospice, and appeared to be in good spirits, Simpson did not address the reported prostate cancer news or whether or not he is in treatment.

TMZ posted a photo from last month of the former athlete walking with a cane, but is also reportedly known for arthritis flare-ups, and he is getting older.

Prostate Cancer Risk Is Higher for African-Americans

Though it is not yet confirmed if OJ Simpson has prostate cancer, it is important to know that prostate cancer is a lot higher if you African-American (or Latino).

“Prostate cancer affects men of all walks of life but it affects them differently,” Dr. Edwin Posadas, Director of Translational Oncology and the Medical Director of the Urologic Oncology Program at Cedars-Sinai, told SurvivorNet in a prior interview.

Staggeringly Higher Prostate Cancer Rates for Black & Latino Men

For example, the incidence of prostate cancer in African-American men is 60 percent higher, and they are two to three times more likely to die from the disease.

“Latino men may not develop prostate cancer at the same rate as African-American men,” adds Dr. Posadas, “but there are problems that exist within the lifestyle that are accelerating. And although prostate cancer is rarer in Asian men, when they do get it, it tends to be more aggressive.”

Treatment Decisions After a Prostate Cancer Diagnosis

Although there are numerous treatments available for prostate cancer, what your doctor recommends will depend on what category of risk your disease falls under. Sometimes that may mean doing nothing at all.

Prostate cancer is a slow-growing disease, so unless it’s been a majorly delayed diagnosis and in a more advanced stage, medical experts will sometimes suggest actively monitoring the growth, and the patient will go in for check-ups every six months or whatever timeframe the doctor deems best.

Dr. David Wise, NYU Langone medical oncologist, explains how Gleason score affects treatment and prognosis

The National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) guidelines divides prostate cancer into one of six risk categories based on how aggressive the cancer looks under the microscope and the chance of it coming back after treatment. These risk categories help guide treatment for the different subtypes of prostate cancers.

The main risk categories for prostate cancer are:

• Very-Low-Risk (VLR) and Low-Risk (LR)
• Favorable- (FIR) and Unfavorable-Intermediate-Risk (UFIR)
• High-Risk (HR) and Very-High-Risk (VHR)

Prostate cancers classified as VLR or LR represent the least aggressive forms of cancer. This categorization will be diagnosed depending on number of factors, including:

• Your doctor can’t feel the cancer on a physical exam, or it occupies one-half or less of one side of the prostate
  Your PSA is less than 10
• Your total Gleason (which is how the prostate cancer is graded) score is 6
• If your cancer is categorized as VLR or LR, your doctor may recommend active surveillance, which is sometimes called “watch and wait.”

Dr. Nicholas Nickols, a radiation oncologist at the UCLA Department of Radiation Oncology, summarizes active surveillance as follows, ‘We carefully monitor the prostate cancer for evidence of progression or not, and then initiate treatment later, if at all.”

During active surveillance, you won’t receive any treatment but your doctor will key an eye on your cancer with a series of tests including:

• PSA Levels
• MRIs
• Repeat biopsies

It’s possible that your cancer may never progress to more aggressive forms of prostate cancer. Active surveillance should help your doctor catch any changes or progression.

RELATED: What is Active Surveillance?

Patients on active surveillance can be spared the side effects of pursuing the traditional ways of treating prostate cancer. If and when the disease becomes more aggressive, as indicated by a rising PSA, development of aggressive-looking disease on MRI, or increasing Gleason score, it can then be treated with surgery, radiation, hormone therapy, chemotherapy, or a combination of these therapies.

What are the Symptoms of Prostate Cancer?

In order to stay ahead of a prostate cancer diagnosis, paying attention to the way you urinate can help you know when to seek help.

Finding that you’ve increased frequency or are waking up in the middle of the night to use the bathroom may indicate that it’s time for an immediate doctor’s appointment, though these may be signs of another problem, such as a urinary tract infection or diabetes. In any case, having to urinate more often at night should prompt a conversation with your doctor.

Dr. Edwin Posadas tells you what clues might signal that you have prostate cancer

Other warning signs of prostate cancer are:

• 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

 

 

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