Patriots Defensive Coordinator Terrell Williams Diagnosed with Prostate Cancer; Key Risk Factors Explained

New England Patriots defensive coordinator Terrell Williams has been diagnosed with prostate cancer, Head Coach Mike Vrabel announced. The 51-year-old has started treatment and is said to be consulting with medical specialists to determine the best approach for recovery from the deadly disease. While the shocking announcement has sent waves through the NFL community, teammates, coaches, and fans have expressed their support for Williams and his family during this challenging time. According to news reports, Williams has been away from the team for the last three weeks. Earlier this month, Vrabel attributed his absence to an unforeseen health issue that arose sometime after the team’s season-opening loss to the Las Vegas Raiders. Vrabel said Williams,

“is in the process of treatment, meeting with specialists and figuring out the best plan of attack to be able to attack this, heal it, fix it and allow him to get back to better health.”

What is prostate cancer?

Prostate cancer is an uncontrolled growth of cells in the prostate gland, a part of the male reproductive system located just below the bladder in men. While it is slow-growing, this cancer can be aggressive and spread if not treated. According to experts, the prostate gland secretes fluid that mixes with semen, keeping sperm healthy for conception and pregnancy. Prostate cancer is a serious disease and is fairly common among men, as studies say 13% of men will develop prostate cancer at some point in their lives. Around 35,770 men in the United States die from prostate cancer every year.

What causes prostate cancer, and what are the risk factors

Even though the main reason behind what causes prostate cancer is not known, as with cancer in general, prostate cancer forms when cells divide faster than usual. While normal cells eventually die, cancer cells do not and instead multiply and grow into a tumour. As the cells continue to multiply, parts of the tumour break off and spread to other parts of your body. Luckily, prostate cancer usually grows slowly, and so most tumours get diagnosed before the cancer has spread beyond your prostate. A few risk factors include:

• Your risk increases as you get older.
• Your risk is higher if you are Black or of African ancestry.
• You can be two to three times more likely to get prostate cancer if a close family member has it.
• You are at greater risk if you have Lynch syndrome or if you inherited mutated genes.
• Smoking
• Prostatitis
• Obesity and being overweight

What are the signs and symptoms of prostate cancer?

Doctors say even though early-stage prostate cancer rarely causes symptoms, as it progresses, you may start to notice changes. A few of the early signs include:

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