Ben Stiller opens up about his fight with cancer, revealing he was diagnosed in 2014 with prostate cancer, a condition that begins when cells in the prostate gland begin to grow overwhelmingly. Now, he explained in a TV interview that he is doing well and blessed to be cancer-free.
"I'm doing great," Ben Stiller revealed to Today's Matt Lauer. The actor added, saying "I was fortunate that my course of treatment was an operation and that was it."
In June 2014, the Zoolander 2 star was detected with "instantly aggressive" prostate cancer through a prostate-specific antigen or PSA test which he had already taken yearly since the age of 46. Stiller admitted that cancer came out of the blue for him and that he had no idea how he got it.
"My dad didn't have it," ENews quoted Stiller as saying. "I'm not in the high-risk group," he added.
During that time, Stiller had no signs or symptoms nor family history of cancer. Having no idea, Stiller confessed that he was very, very scared at first and did not know what was going to happen. So what he did was he researched online to try to educate himself.
He also called Robert De Niro, who was also diagnosed with cancer, right away to ask for any information. Stiller also disclosed his condition to his two children.
Stiller, later on, underwent an operation which has removed his prostate. Afterward, Stiller said it gives him an appreciation for life. Every six months Stiller is taking his PSA test to ensure he is clear. Thankful of the PSA test, Stiller noted: 'And if it wasn't for this trial that we're going to talk about, I don't know if I would have had as easy a course of treatment or the prognosis that I did have.'
Learning from his experience, Stiller advised men to get clued up on the PSA test, the doctors and treatment options. He also added that every man must go and get tested after the age of 40 and 45, particularly if they have a history of prostate cancer.
