"Grey's Anatomy" star James Pickens Jr. revealed his prostate cancer diagnosis, sharing a public service announcement on the show about the importance of screening before announcing he is now cancer-free.
At the conclusion of Thursday's episode of "Grey's Anatomy," Pickens Jr. delivered a message on the importance of prostate cancer screenings, particularly for Black men, saying, "I'm living proof that early detection works."
Posting the video on social media, Pickens Jr. directed viewers to Black Health Matters, with whom he discussed his prostate cancer diagnosis at length.
The public service announcement he delivered at the end of the episode came shortly after his character, Dr. Richard Webber, revealed his own cancer diagnosis in the show.
According to Black Health Matters, Pickens' doctor checked his PSA (prostate-specific antigen) levels in 2024 and again in January.
"I went back in January, and when my PSA numbers came back, my primary said, ‘Yeah, you know what? It’s ticked up some more. I want to send you back to the urologist.”
An MRI revealed "something suspicious," before a biopsy revealed a tumor. A PET scan revealed the cancer had not spread and existed in one part of the prostate, according to Black Health Matters.
"It’s not the kind of news anyone wants to hear, but to be honest, prostate cancer has run through my family. 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,” Pickens told Black Health Matters.
Pickens elected to undergo a radical prostatectomy, a surgery to remove the entire prostate, performed robotically by urologists, according to the outlet.
"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,” he said.
In Pickens' "Grey's" public service announcement, which was later posted to social media by Shondaland, the production company behind the show, he shared that Black men have a heightened risk of developing prostate cancer. "Fortunately, prostate cancer is highly treatable, but early detection is the key and sometimes there are no noticeable symptoms."
Following that message, Pickens shared a health update on social media, revealing he is cancer-free.
"'Hi Friends, I’m blessed and grateful to be cancer-free. Thanks so much for all the love and support! Get checked!' 🙏🏾♥️" the actor shared.
According to the CDC, "Black men are more likely to get prostate cancer than men who are members of other racial or ethnic groups" and "are more than twice as likely to die from prostate cancer than other men."
The health agency says anyone interested in screening should talk to their doctor about personal risk factors and options.
