My Father Had Cancer, My Cousin Has Cancer, My Brothers Have Cancer — I’m Not Surprised About Mine — James Pickens Jr Diagnosed with Prostate Cancer

Veteran actor James Pickens Jr. has revealed that he has been diagnosed with prostate cancer.
The 73-year-old star opened up about his health battle during a conversation with Black Health Matters, saying the diagnosis didn’t come as a complete surprise due to his strong family history.

He said: “It’s not the kind of news anyone wants to hear, but to be honest, prostate cancer has run through my family,”

He continued: “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.

“I’ve got a 90-year-old first cousin, who’s still alive, actually and he had it. His son has it, a couple of his brothers had it. No one, as far as I know, has succumbed to it.”

According to Pickens, he was diagnosed with the illness this year.

He explained that his dedication to routine medical checkups played a major role in catching the cancer early. He said: “I started getting my annual physical 34 years ago, and I started my PSA testing when I was 41. I’m 73 now.

My urologist said, ‘Because you were so diligent in that piece of your health, it was to your advantage. We were able to catch it so early because you were being tested.’”