‘This Is How We Do It’ Singer Montell Jordan’s Experience With Prostate Cancer Challenged a Cancer Stereotype: ‘It Didn’t Look Like What the World Depicts’

Jordan says that since prostate cancer entered his life, the experience hasn’t been what he thought it would be.

“From the very first diagnosis, I never felt anything that was what…the world depicts cancer is supposed to look like…what it looks like later down the line when things go undetected, or when things have progressed,” Jordan said.

Jordan first revealed his diagnosis in December 2024, nearly a year after doctors began monitoring his rising PSA levels.

The prostate-specific antigen test (PSA) measures the prostate-specific antigen in the blood. An elevated PSA level in the blood does not always mean you have prostate cancer, but it does call for further tests.

RELATED: Check Out SurvivorNet’s Digital Guide to Prostate Cancer.

“My initial reaction was, I didn’t feel any different, and I didn’t have any symptoms,” he explained to the “Today Show.” “For the decade, I had received regular check-ups, but over time, my doctors noticed that my PSA numbers had been increasing.”

That vigilance led to a diagnosis of Gleason 6 prostate cancer—considered low risk but still requiring attention. “I was first diagnosed with Gleason 6,” Jordan said, referring to the scoring system that helps determine the aggressiveness of prostate cancer.

The results of the PSA test provide a Gleason Score. This score ranges from 6 to 10. The higher the score, the more aggressive the cancer. This score, along with other test results, helps doctors determine if cancer is “low risk,” “intermediate risk,” or “high risk.”

WATCH: How Gleason Grade Determines Treatment

Jordan opted for a prostatectomy, a surgical procedure that removes the prostate and surrounding tissue. Though the surgery came with potential side effects like erectile dysfunction and urinary incontinence, Jordan remained focused on recovery.

“Post-treatment, I’m doing well. I’m still going to get regular check-ups. I have some additional work that needs to be done,” Jordan said while adding that the cancer had returned.

“I understood the idea to be a cancer survivor, but I didn’t know there was a thing to be a two-time cancer survivor,” he said.

WATCH: Surgery side effects may or may not be long-term for prostate cancer.

Part of Jordan’s message of early detection for prostate cancer targets explicitly Black men.

“Black men…we don’t have the luxury at this point to be distrustful about a system that maybe has failed us in the past. We have to go after every resource we have available for us to have our family legacies intact,” Jordan said.

Research published in the medical journal “Cancer” states, “Black men are disproportionally affected by prostate cancer; they have the highest prostate cancer incidence in the United States (183.4 new cases per 100,000).”

Last year, the Prostate Cancer Foundation (PCF) released recommended screening guidelines for Black men in the United States and says, “Among Black men who elect screening, baseline PSA testing should occur between ages 40-45. Depending on the PSA value and health status, annual screening should be strongly considered.”

The New England Journal of Medicine highlights that Black men are at a higher risk of getting prostate cancer. Researchers, consisting of primary care, urology, medical and radiation oncology, translational science, and patient advocates, reviewed 287 studies using systematic review protocols to develop prostate cancer screening guidelines specific to Black men.

They determined, for Black men (higher-risk):

• Prostate cancer tends to develop 3–9 years earlier in Black men.
• Early discussions about PSA screening should begin in the early 40s.
• Baseline PSA testing between the ages of 40 and 45 is recommended.
• Continued screening until age 70, adjusted for PSA levels and health status, could reduce mortality by roughly 30% without a major overdiagnosis risk.

Why Prostate Cancer Can Return

Prostate cancer recurrence is not all that uncommon. A study published in the medical journal JAMA followed 1,997 men who had undergone prostate removal surgery. Of those, 304 experienced a recurrence, and about 25% of those cases occurred five or more years after surgery.

Researchers believe that dormant cancer cells can hide in the body for years. The bone marrow, in particular, is considered a key hiding place. This is supported by findings published in the International Journal of Cancer, which noted, “In one autopsy study, approximately 80% of the men who had died from prostate cancer possessed bone metastases.”

Other potential reservoirs for dormant cancer cells include the lymph nodes and the prostate bed—the area where the prostate gland once was—though these are more difficult to study.

Researchers have made significant strides in understanding how prostate cancer can spread early—even when it appears to be under control—and then return months or even years later. One key discovery is that the bones are a common site for prostate cancer to spread. In fact, scientists have found dormant cancer cells hiding in the bone marrow of many patients, even when the disease seems confined to the prostate.

Lab studies, mostly using model systems, have also helped uncover how prostate cancer cells can lie dormant for long periods before becoming active again. While treatments like hormone therapy and radiation after surgery have shown promise, experts agree that more research—both in the lab and in clinical trials—is needed to improve outcomes for patients.

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.

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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