International Men's Health Week concludes with Father's Day Run
ROYAL OAK, Mich. (CBS DETROIT) - The American Cancer Society predicts that by the end of 2023, nearly 35,000 deaths will be caused by prostate cancer. It's the second leading cause of cancer death in American men.
On Father's Day, the Detroit Zoo is where the MIU's Men's Health Foundation recognized sons, fathers and grandfathers and the adversity that hit thousands of families in southeast Michigan.
"I think it is a brotherhood," says Ken Kernen, a physician at the Michigan Institute of Urology.
In this case, a brotherhood that goes back to 2009, with more than 1,000 participants coming out to break the stigma and participate in the Run for the Ribbon.
"I'm really blessed to have a bunch of guys that I've operated on and treated in a variety of different ways for prostate cancer, but I still have some patients that are afraid to come out. They don't because of that stigma. They don't really want to come out and talk about it," Kernen said.
He added that it's attention like this event and others during Men's Health Week that help break the stigma and surround families facing similar adversities.
"Set me back a little bit, but I regrouped, kept moving forward, and here we are," says Stanley Goodman, a patient and now friend of Kernen.
Goodman was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2008. After early detection and a procedure, the Farmington Hills survivor says he's since participated in nearly 20 marathons.
"It makes me feel real good that I accomplished something that's difficult. The surgery enabled me to continue living, and I love running, so it's a great combination," Goodman says.
Like many men at the run on Father's Day, Goodman's recovery will keep him going for many more runs to come.