Grey’s Anatomy Star James Pickens Jr. Diagnosed With Prostate Cancer, Says 'It Runs In The Family'

James

Pickens Jr., popularly known for his role in the American Drama Series Grey's Anatomy, has been diagnosed with Prostate Cancer. In an interview with Black Health Matters, the actor revealed how it runs in his family but none has succumbed to it ever, calming his worried fans.

James Pickens Jr Opens Up On Prostate Cancer Diagnosis

In a recent conversation, the actor made the revelation about his diagnosis and said, "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; he had it. His son has it. A couple of his brothers had it. No one, as far as I know, has succumbed to it." Further, he added, "We caught it really early, and so they thought that 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. 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."

One In Eight Men Are Diagnosed: James

Drawing reference from his incident, the actor urged everyone to opt for early testing. Pickens starred in a video shared by the organization on social media. In it, he shared, "One in eight men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer in their lifetime." "For Black men, the risk is even higher. Fortunately, prostate cancer is highly treatable, but early detection is the key, and sometimes there are no noticeable symptoms. For years, I worked with Black Health Matters to urge men to get screened regularly, starting with a simple blood test. Today, I am living proof that early detection works. If you’re Black, or prostate cancer runs in your family, talk to your doctor about getting screened starting at age 40," the actor concluded.