The Legend Who Lit Up Chicago Gets Devastating News: Ryne Sandberg, 65, Is ‘Back To More Intensive Prostate Cancer Treatment’

“Unfortunately we recently learned the cancer has relapsed, and it has spread to other organs. This means that I’m back to more intensive treatment.”

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A post shared by Ryne Sandberg (@rynesandberg23)

He concluded, “We will continue to be positive, strong, and fight to beat this. Thank you for your thoughts and prayers for me and my family.”

Sandberg, who initiated his baseball career with the Philadelphia Phillies and rose to fame with the Chicago Cubs, was praised by Cubs owner Tom Ricketts following his cancer recurrence news, according to AP News.

Ricketts said, “Ryne is an inspiration to cancer survivors everywhere. I know all Cubs fans join my family and me in sending positive thoughts to Ryne and keeping him and his family in our prayers as he faces this next round of treatments to defeat cancer.

“Ryne has the heart and soul of a champion and that will serve him well in this challenge.”

We’re glad to see Sandberg, who in his career won nine Gold Gloves, Seven Silver Sluggers, a Home Run Derby, and was crowned the Most Valuable Player in 1984, remaining hopeful and determined to battle this disease head on with necessary treatment.

However, additionally details on his upcoming “intensive” treatment plan haven’t been revealed.

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A post shared by Ryne Sandberg (@rynesandberg23)

In late January, he took to Instagram to go public with his metastatic (advanced) prostate cancer battle.

“I have begun treatment, and I am surrounded by my loving wife Margaret, our incredibly supportive family, the best medical care team, and our dear friends,” Sandberg captioned the post.

Then, four months later he said, “After yesterday’s PET scan and MRI tests, great news today with NO detection of cancer! This is after finishing chemo treatments and headed to radiation for several weeks since the original diagnosis was incurable cancer.”

In August, he took to social media again to share a photo of him looking happy outdoors with his dog, writing alongside the post, “Feeling good and energetic with positive mindset strong after vacay to old stomping grounds and favorite spot, Thomas Lake in Washington State!

“Beautiful country and back to basics of life to focus on, the little things daily right there in the woods and on the lake!Outdoors, fishing, boating, jet skiing, deer, bald eagle, beavers, moose and bear country and enjoying family and relatives! Support group at its best! Two weeks left till [ringing the bell] and charging toward finish line full speed with good energy! Thanks for love, thoughts and prayers.”

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A post shared by Ryne Sandberg (@rynesandberg23)

He finished up treatment on August 15, writing in another Instagram post, “Rang the Bell this morning! WE did it, WE won! What a Dream Team, family, doctors, friends, nurses, fans who supported myself and Margaret through the last 8 months!

“We feel so blessed from all the love, prayers and thoughts and positive words that have come our way! Modern medicine has come along way so once again early detection is important. Annual doctor visits! Time to celebrate!”

Although Sandberg has a long road ahead of him as he fights this disease once again, we’re positive his faith, support from family and friends, and his strength will help get him through his prostate cancer recurrence.

Finding a Way to Live, Learn, and Cope With a Cancer Recurrence

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.

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.

It’s important to 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.

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 have 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?

Contributing: SurvivorNet Staff

Learn more about SurvivorNet's rigorous medical review process.

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