Tennis Legend Björn Borg Reveals Battle with Advanced Prostate Cancer; Know Unmissable Early Signs

Former world number one tennis player Björn Borg has revealed his battle with advanced prostate cancer in an upcoming book. Writing in Heartbeats: A Memoir, the Swede has reflected on the diagnosis, saying he will “fight every day like it’s a Wimbledon final”. The 11-time Grand Slam champion has mentioned that he underwent surgery in 2024 and is now in remission. “[The doctor] said, ‘But you have these sleeping cancer cells in your body.’ It's going to be a fight in the future, and I hope I'm going to be okay,” Borg said in an interview with the BBC recently. “I might be okay; I might not be okay. So, every six months, I go and test myself. And right now, I did my last test two weeks ago, so I'm okay. I take it day by day, year by year, hopefully.

It's a thing you have to live with,” he added. Borg won five successive Wimbledon titles between 1976 and 1980 as well as six French Open crowns and stunned the sporting world by retiring at the age of 26. “So many people die every year from prostate cancer,” Borg said. “Test yourself if you can.”

What is prostate cancer?

Prostate cancer is cancer that develops in the prostate – a walnut-shaped gland located below the bladder and in front of the rectum in men. The tiny gland secretes fluid that mixes with semen, keeping sperm healthy for conception and pregnancy. According to experts, prostate cancer is common among men – for every 100 males, 13 will develop prostate cancer at some point in their lives. While most people get diagnosed before it spreads beyond their prostate glands, treatment is important before this deadly cancer spreads. Still, data reveal that more than 35 thousand men across the United States die from prostate cancer every year. If you are diagnosed with prostate cancer, it’s most likely an adenocarcinoma, which starts in the cells of glands that secrete fluid.

Signs and symptoms of prostate cancer

While at the early stage prostate cancer rarely causes symptoms, there are a few signs that if you notice, you must take seriously:

• Frequent and urgent need to pee at night
• Weak urine flow
• Pain or burning when you pee
• Loss of bladder control
• Loss of bowel control
• Painful ejaculation and erectile dysfunction
• Blood in semen
• Pain in your low back, hip, or chest

What are the risk factors?

While the doctors are not sure what exactly causes prostate cancer, there are a few risk factors, which include:

Age

Doctors say the risk for prostate cancer increases as you get older, and you are most likely to get diagnosed over 50.

Race and ethnicity

Your risk is higher if you’re Black or of African ancestry, especially for aggressive cancers and those diagnosed before age 50.

Family history

You are twice or thrice as likely to get prostate cancer if a close family member has it.

Genetics

The risk is greater if you have Lynch syndrome or inherited mutated genes BRCA1 and BRCA2.

Smoking

If you are a smoker, the risk of prostate cancer doubles.

Obesity

Obesity or having a BMI greater than 30