Ben Stiller spoke about his battle with prostate cancer in his first television interview since revealing his diagnosis last month.
During an appearance on the “Today” show Tuesday, the actor confirmed to host Matt Lauer that he’s still “cancer-free.” Stiller was diagnosed in 2014.
“I was really fortunate that my course of treatment was basically an operation, and that was it,” the “Zoolander” star said, before admitting cancer “wasn’t on my radar at all” prior to his diagnosis.
Stiller, who was joined by his surgeon, Dr. Edward Schaeffer, went on to talk about the importance of the prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test, noting that if hadn’t done the test he might not have had “as easy a treatment.” However, it should be noted that the PSA test has caused some controversy among experts, and may not be the best option for everyone.
For the actor, a big step in deciding on treatment, along with listening to doctor recommendations, was educating himself and “learning what the options were.”
When asked about his recovery and whether he’s faced any side effects, Stiller affirmed he’s “all good!”
The one message Stiller hopes men will take away from his decision to share his diagnosis is this: “Please talk to your doctor about this. Be aware. If it was up to me every guy should get tested after the age of 40 or 45.”
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