Charlie Wilson Reveals He ‘Survived Prostate Cancer’

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Singer Charlie Wilson is encouraging prostate cancer screening as part of Prostate Cancer Awareness Month –– recognized in September –– after revealing he survived his battle with the disease. 

“I survived prostate cancer and I want all the fellas out there to know that early detection is the key to living a healthy life,” Wilson, lead singer of the legendary GAP Band, wrote on Twitter Tuesday (September 14). 

Wilson was first diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2008 and successfully underwent radiation treatment. Now, the singer wants Black men to get checked early as a preventative step to fighting the disease. Read more of Wilson's journey he shared with Essence in 2020 here.

According to the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, Black men are at 50% higher risk of developing prostate cancer and twice as likely to die from it. 

Dr. Philip Kantoff, chair of the Center’s Department of Medicine, says Black men are more likely to be saved if they’re screened for the disease. Kantoff adds that Black men go for screenings earlier than recommended age thresholds since the studies that set those guidelines often leave Black men out. 

Black men and Black people with prostates, should collaborate with their doctors on being more cautious and actively monitoring their individual risks.

To learn more about prostate screening and becoming involved in studies seeking to find answers to why Black men are at greater risk of developing prostate cancer, click here.

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