Ben Stiller reveals prostate cancer battle
Ben Stiller shocked fans Tuesday when he revealed that he battled prostate cancer two years ago.
The “Zoolander” star made the announcement during an interview with Howard Stern, explaining that the diagnosis came in June 2014, when he was 48 years old.
“It came out of the blue for me,” Stiller said. “I had no idea.”
Stiller is opening up to spread awareness and discussions about the Prostate-Specific Antigen (PSA) test used to help identify prostate cancer.
“So, I had cancer a couple of years ago,” Stiller tweeted following the interview. “And I wanted to talk about it and the test that saved my life.”
So, I had cancer a couple of years ago and I wanted to talk about it. And the test that saved my life. https://t.co/KWirBcRZ7D
— Ben Stiller (@RedHourBen) October 4, 2016
His tweet linked to a Medium essay he wrote about getting the PSA test and his experiences with treatment and a prostatectomy that removed the cancer.
“I got diagnosed with prostate cancer Friday, June 13, 2014. On September 17 of that year I got a test back telling me I was cancer-free,” Stiller wrote. “The three months in between were a crazy roller coaster ride with which about 180,000 men a year in America can identify.”
“I think men over the age of 40 should have the opportunity to discuss the test with their doctor and learn about it, so they can have the chance to be screened,” he wrote. “After that an informed patient can make responsible choices as to how to proceed.”