Celebrating Life as a Survivor
- TODAY weatherman Al Roker, 67, has been an advocate for prostate cancer ever since beating an aggressive form of the disease in 2020, but he recently reflected back on one of the darker moments of his diagnosis: telling his kids.
- Many cancer patients say that telling their kids is understandably the worst part of the process. Some even choose to hold off on telling their children to protect them.
- As a two-year survivor, Al continues to enjoy milestones, such as his son Nick’s recent graduation from high school last week, Father’s Day, and hopefully many more dads days to come.
- Screening for prostate cancer is simple and consists of a prostate-specific antigen (PSA) blood test and a digital rectal exam to feel the prostate gland. Talk to your doctor about when you should begin having your prostate checked.
“It was the first time I saw fear in my children’s eyes,” he told co-hosts and fellow dads Craig Melvin and Carson Daly in a recent Father’s Day segment. “I mean, they started crying,” he shared of the painful moment that so many other survivors can empathize with.
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Many cancer patients say that telling their kids is understandably the worst part of the process. Some even choose to hold off on telling their children to protect them.
Carson Daly opened up about his tragic experience with cancerlosing his father to the disease. “I'm 48. My dad died when he was 46,” he shared. “I was five when he died.”
Now as a grown man, Carson acknowledged how tough it must have been for his parents in that moment, and their decision on how to approach the situation. Ultimately, they had decided to shield it from them.
“Going through chemo, the hiding it from us we didn't really even know,’ he expanded. “All the days, the doctor calls, how scared he must have been, my mom going through this with young kids, and yet our childhood seemed so normal.
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When Al was diagnosed, he had to have surgery immediatelythree days after he announced the news. The surgery took five hours, and his prostate, along with surrounding lymph nodes, were removed.
Finding out one week later that he was in the clear, needless to say, was one of the family man’s most triumphant moments of his life. Now, he gets blood tests every six months, which will continue for the next few years.
When Should I Get Tested for Prostate Cancer?
Al continues to enjoy milestones, such as his son Nick’s recent graduation from high school last week, and hopefully many more Father’s Days to come.
Life After Prostate Cancer
This past Father’s Day was exceptionally special this year for Roker. He and his wife, journalist Deborah Roker, 61, were together with their three kidsCourtney, 35, Leila, 23, and Nick, 19for the first time in 5 years. Essentially, the first time since Al’s cancer battle, not to mention the pandemic!
The family shared a celebratory BBQ meal at Pig Beach in Queens, New York, and couldn’t have seemed happier in their smiley Instagram pic.
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If Al hadn’t screened for cancer, his life could have wound up with a tragic ending, but he’s trying to stay as diligent as possible about his health.
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The guidelines for screening depend largely on your risk for the disease and that's based on several factors including family history, genetics, age, and race.
Screening is simple and consists of a prostate-specific antigen (PSA) blood test and a digital rectal exam to feel the prostate gland. "It's slightly uncomfortable but painless, and takes less than 30 seconds," says Dr. Edwin Posadas, Director of Translational Oncology and the Medical Director of the Urologic Oncology Program at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center.
"The amount of information that is gained from that is tremendous, and it can be a life-and-death type decision that is made," says Dr. Posadas, who has detected prostate cancer in patients via a rectal exam alone.
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