The Wrestler Bret ‘The Hitman’ Hart Beat Prostate Cancer, Made A Comeback, & Has a Mission To Get More Men Screened For Cancer Earlier

Speaking on the radio show and acknowledging how he’s been encouraging men to stay on top of their health for nearly a decade, Hart explained, “I’ve had such a great experience with doing all this stuff with the Man Van and going out with and promoting the importance of people getting checked for prostate cancer.

“It’s one of those things that a lot of people just put it off all of the time, but it’s so critical. Especially, after 40, you need to get checked, if you can every year because it’s one of those things that can creep up on you.”

He continued, “It’s a really simple thing. You just go down and get some blood work done, get your PSA levels checked. It can save you a lot of headache down the road if it turns out your PSA levels are a little higher than you anticipated.

“Like, for me, it was one of those things when I had prostate cancer my levels were going up a little every year so I was able to sort of foresee that it was coming, that I was eventually going to get some prostate cancer surgery and all that kind of stuff.

“But it’s so important to get checked. I mean, getting checked is the first step,” he insisted.

Hart advised anyone listening that “if you want to save yourself a lot of headache and heartache down the road” that early detection is the way to go, as it can lead to “peace of mind.”

He then reassured that the PSA is just a “simple” and “clear-cut” blood test.

Hart also stresses to men, in a statement shared on his website, “Don’t be afraid to find out the truth. Whatever the diagnosis is — you’re better off knowing.

“It’s as simple as a blood test. If it is cancer, get on it as quickly as possible. It could save your life.”

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A post shared by Bret (@brethitmanhart)

Bret Hart’s Prostate Cancer Battle

Bret Hart, who retired from wrestling after suffering a concussion 26 years ago, was diagnosed with prostate cancer back in 2013 and was treated with active surveillance at first. He ultimately underwent a robotic prostatectomy in February 2016 and has been cancer-free since.

He went public with his diagnosis in a lengthy Instagram post, writing on February 1, 2016, “It is with great remorse that I feel compelled to speak truthfully to my friends, family and my millions of fans around the world. In the past few years, I’ve spent more than enough time paying the price for all those years trying to be the best there ever was as a professional wrestler. I executed excellently and my proudest claim was that I never seriously hurt or injured another wrestler in my 23 year career. …

“I’ve had a great lifelong dance and I’m a survivor of many hard battles. I now face my toughest battle. With hesitation and fear, I openly declare myself in my fight against prostate cancer. In the next few days, I will undergo surgery with the hope of defeating this nemesis once and for all.”

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Hart explained further, “My fans have always looked upon me as a hero and I’ve always done my best to live up to that in and out of the ring. I beat the odds when I suffered my stroke in 2002, but it is now yet again, that I … stand unafraid and face the tough road ahead of me, I will march toward this destiny with his spirit chanting in my ear.

“I make a solemn vow to all of those that once believed in me, the dead and the living, that I will wage my fearsome fight against cancer with one shield and one sword carrying my determination and my fury for life, emboldened by all the love that’s kept me going this long already. Love is my weapon and I’ve got much of it around me all the time, for which I’m truly blessed and eternally grateful. My children, grandchildren, and my loving wife Steph have been and will constantly be at my side. I refuse to lose, I will never give in or give up, and I will win this battle or die trying.

He concluded, “Most important of all, I hope can take the fight to prostate cancer. To be a leader in awareness and to set the example for men everywhere who find themselves in my very same shoes, that prostate cancer can be beaten.”

Hart also has admitted to having “not symptoms at all” before his diagnosis, saying in an earlier interview, according to his website, “It was a mystery to me that there was anything wrong. ‘Devastating’ is a good word for how I felt when I received the diagnosis. I was terrified about what the future might hold. It was a hard thing to accept.”

His PSA levels fluctuated until 2015 when his doctor spoke with him about scheduling surgery to have his prostate removed.

Understanding Prostate Cancer

If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with prostate cancer, it’s important to remember that most types of prostate cancers are treatable. According to the National Cancer Institute, the five-year survival rate of prostate cancer in the U.S. is 97.1%. There is, however, a small number of men whose type of prostate cancer may become unresponsive to treatment, for example, when cancer cells develop a resistance hormone therapy, the treatment may no longer work.

It’s important to understand that prostate cancer begins in the prostate the walnut-shaped gland located between the rectum and bladder that produces the fluid that nourishes sperm. Outside of skin cancers, prostate cancer is the most common cancer in American men with about one in eight men being diagnosed with this disease during his lifetime.

Remember, a prostate cancer diagnosis is not always preceded by symptoms. And even when symptoms do occur, they can be inconsistent and hard to pinpoint.

“Prostate cancer is a very odd disease in that it doesn’t have a particular symptom,” Dr. Edwin Posadas, director of translational oncology and the medical director of the Urologic Oncology Program at Cedars-Sinai, told SurvivorNet.

After the Diagnosis: “What Did I Do Wrong?”

Still, it’s important to note changes in urinary function, like urinating more or less often or waking up at night to go more than usual, could be a sign of prostate cancer. So, even if you think there’s nothing to worry about, always talk to your doctor about changes to your health when they occur.

There are many different treatment options for both early and later-stage prostate cancer including active surveillance, watchful waiting, surgery, radiation, cryotherapy, hormone therapy, chemotherapy, immunotherapy and targeted therapy. The disease is one where doctors may have differing opinions on the best treatment path to take, so don’t hesitate to ask lots of questions and seek out multiple opinions.

Second (& Third) Opinions Matter When Deciding Between Surgery or Radiation

“I think it behooves the patient to have multiple discussions or second opinions, not only by the urologist who did the biopsy and diagnosed that man, but also with other surgeons and other radiation oncologist just to get a very circumspect view of what the treatment options are,” Dr. Jim Hu, a urologic oncologist at Weill Cornell Medicine, told SurvivorNet. “Oftentimes, I think patients need to understand that our health system is based a lot on fee-for-service medicine.

“And so therefore, a lot of physicians, I think, who are very well intentioned, will believe that their treatment is best for that particular man,” Dr. Hu added.

Prostate Cancer Screening Guidelines

It’s unclear if the benefits of prostate cancer screening outweigh the risks for most men. Nevertheless, screening can be life-saving, and it’s important to discuss the pros and cons of screening and your risk factors for the disease with your doctor.

The American Cancer Society (ACS) recommends “men have a chance to make an informed decision with their health care provider about whether to be screened for prostate cancer” after “getting information about the uncertainties, risks, and potential benefits of prostate cancer screening.”

The ACS says the discussion about prostate cancer screening should take place at:

• Age 50 for men who are at average risk of prostate cancer and are expected to live at least 10 more years.
• Age 45 for men at high risk of developing prostate cancer. This includes African Americans and men who have a first-degree relative (father or brother) diagnosed with prostate cancer at an early age (younger than age 65).
• Age 40 for men at even higher risk (those with more than one first-degree relative who had prostate cancer at an early age).

When Should I Get Tested for Prostate Cancer?

Prostate cancer screening methods look for possible signs of the disease, but they can’t determine for sure if you have cancer. A prostate biopsy is the only way to confirm if the patient has prostate cancer.

Screening generally involves a PSA (prostate-specific antigen) test and a digital rectal exam to feel the prostate gland. The prostate-specific antigen is a protein secreted by the prostate gland, large amounts of which can indicate prostate cancer.

It’s slightly uncomfortable but painless, and takes less than 30 seconds,” Dr. Posadas said of these methods. “The amount of information that is gained from that is tremendous, and it can be a life-and-death type decision that is made.”

Though the PSA test is not always accurate and an elevated PSA test does not always mean you have prostate cancer, our experts maintain that these tests are helpful. Make sure to discuss your options with your doctors and decide what screening should look like for you.

What Are Your Treatment Options?

After your care team has all of the information (PSA, prostate exam, and the results of any imaging scans), your doctor will use it to categorize your cancer into one of several groups, called risk groups.

These include:

• Low risk
• Intermediate risk
• High risk

There are several subgroups within these categories that your doctor may mention. Which risk group your cancer falls into will determine what treatment options may be best for you. Men with low-risk and very low-risk disease may be candidates for active surveillance, an approach that closely monitors the cancer for changes and helps men avoid potential complications from more aggressive treatment.

On the other hand, men with high-risk disease may be treated with radiation therapy and androgen deprivation therapy (hormonal therapy).

In addition to your risk group, your doctor will also consider other factors, including:

• Your age
• Your overall health
• Your life expectancy
• Your goals for treatment

A combination of all of this information will allow your treating team to discuss all of the options that are available for treating your specific cancer.

Common treatment options for men with prostate cancer include:

• Surgery
• Radiation therapy
• Active surveillance
• Combination radiation therapy with hormonal therapy
• Surgery followed by radiation therapy

The reality is that most treatments are effective at curing the cancer. However, they each have different side effects that your doctors should discuss with you.

The Challenge of Deciding When to Treat Prostate Cancer

We encourage and recommend that if you are diagnosed with prostate cancer, you get an opinion from a urologist (surgeon) and a radiation oncologist to hear all of your options before choosing a treatment. We also recommend you get a second opinion from another institution.

Given the many treatment choices, doctors at some centers may do things quite differently than others.

We believe it is important to understand all of your options and hearing from other doctors at different institutions is helpful. The good news is that we have a lot of great options to treat men with this cancer. It can sometimes be overwhelming to pick what is best for you.

Contributing: SurvivorNet Staff

Learn more about SurvivorNet's rigorous medical review process.

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