RELATED: Tiger King Star Joe Exotic Reveals the First Signs He Had Prostate Cancer. On May 18, months after his surgery, Roker spoke about how he had almost skipped the yearly checkup where his cancer was ultimately detected. “Listen, I was going to put off my annual checkup, decided back in September, let me just get this done,” he recalled on Today. “And if I hadn’t, [they] would not have detected the prostate cancer, which was very aggressive.” Now, Roker is emphasizing the important of regular health screenings and checkups—especially since many people may have lapsed in their appointments during the pandemic. “My outlook and outcome might have been completely different, so I cannot stress enough to people, go out there and get your checkup, make sure you get checked,” he said. Today’s Craig Melvin reiterated that Roker is a “cautionary tale” and a reminder to schedule your checkups right now. RELATED: If These 2 Body Parts Hurt You, It Could Be a Sign of Cancer, Study Says. Part of why Roker decided to make his diagnosis public was to educate others on prostate cancer. “I wanted to take you along on my journey so we can all learn together how to educate and protect the men in our lives,” he said in Nov. 2020 when he made his announcement. The host said that routine checks are important for all men, but especially important for African American men. Roker noted that one in nine men will get prostate cancer in their lifetime, but one in seven African American men will get the diagnosis. When Roker first announced his diagnosis, he said it was “a good news-bad news kind of thing. Good news is we caught it early. Not great news is that it’s a little aggressive.” In November, he underwent surgery that successfully removed the cancer. On May 18, Roker said he recently went to his six-month checkup and learned that nothing was detected in his prostate-specific antigen (PSA) level—meaning he has a clean bill of health.ae0fcc31ae342fd3a1346ebb1f342fcb RELATED: For more up-to-date information, sign up for our daily newsletter. While early prostate cancer often doesn’t manifest in any noticeable symptoms, later stages do. According to the Mayo Clinic, some symptoms in more advanced cases include trouble urinating, decreased force in the stream of urine, blood in urine or semen, bone pain, weight loss, and erectile dysfunction. If you’re experiencing any of these symptoms, see a doctor as soon as possible. RELATED: Eating This One Thing Can Cut Your Cancer Risk in Half, New Study Says.
