'Grey's Anatomy' Fame, James Pickens Jr. Opens Up About Real Life Prostate Cancer Diagnosis

James Pickens Jr. is an American actor and is widely known for his role in the ABC hit medical drama, Grey’s Anatomy. For the unversed, James plays the role of 'Dr. Richard Webber' in Grey’s Anatomy. He has been attached to the show since day one. The show premiered in March 2005. In a recent episode, 'Dr. Richard Webber' announced that he had been diagnosed with an undisclosed type of cancer. Now, according to the latest reports, it can be said that James is struggling with cancer both on-screen and off-screen.

73-year-old James Pickens Jr. has been diagnosed with a rare variant of prostate cancer

In a recent interview with Black Health Matters, the 73-year-old James Pickens Jr. opened up about getting yearly medical checkups since 1991. He revealed that he had started Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA) testing when he was 41. He highlighted that his urologist told him that, as he had been diligent about PSA testing, it was advantageous for him. He mentioned that it was a rare variant. In his words:

"I started getting my annual physical 34 years ago, and I started my PSA testing when I was 41. I'm 73 now. My urologist said, 'Because you were so diligent in that piece of your health, it was to your advantage. We were able to catch it so early because you were being tested.' It was rare enough that they wanted to make sure that they were crossing all the T's and dotting all their I's, but they hadn't seen one that was detected as early as mine."

Earlier, this year, the American actor had undergone a prostatectomy, a surgical procedure to remove the gland. In the same interview, James shared that as his prostate gland cancer was detected early, his doctors opted for surgery. He was quoted as saying:

"We caught it really early, and so they thought surgery would be the best route to take. I do have a rare variant that you don't see very often. They wanted to err on the side of caution and keep an eye on it."

James Pickens Jr. has a family history related to prostate gland cancer

Further in the interview, James Pickens Jr. expressed that the prostate cancer diagnosis hadn’t been a shock to him, as this health scare runs in his family. He mentioned that his dad had it. In fact, his uncles, too, had suffered this health scare. He highlighted that his 90-year-old cousin, who is still alive, had suffered from prostate cancer. He added that although a lot of his family members had prostate cancer, none had succumbed to it. He was quoted as saying:

"It's not the kind of news anyone wants to hear, but to be honest, prostate cancer has run through my family. My father had it. He had a lot of brothers; several of them had it. I would have been surprised if I hadn't gotten it. I've got a 90-year-old first cousin, who's still alive, actually, and he had it. His son has it, and a couple of his brothers had it. No one, as far as I know, has succumbed to it."

James Pickens Jr. Spreads awareness about prostate cancer testing

As a TV star, James Pickens Jr. has been raising awareness of prostate cancer through his role on Grey’s Anatomy. In a Public Service Announcement for Black Health Matters, James highlighted that one in eight men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer in their lifetime, but the risk is higher for Black men. He shared that this type of cancer can be treated and that early detection will be a key factor. Sometimes there are no noticeable symptoms, but a yearly checkup is very helpful in the following case.

What are your thoughts on James Pickens Jr.'s initiative to spread awareness about prostate cancer testing? Let us know.

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