Widely recognized as one of the greatest defensive backs, Pro Football Hall of Famer, Mike Haynes was caught off-guard when he learned there was an issue with his prostate health. The NFL legend didn't know much about the prostate until a screening held at the Pro Football Hall of Fame showed something with his might be wrong.
As part of his prostate cancer screening, Mike was asked some key questions to help find out more about his prostate cancer risk. That's when his doctor told him 1 in 7 men would be told they have prostate cancer. And their odds increase to 1 in 3 if they have a family history of the disease. He asked if anyone in Mike's family had the disease, but Mike did not know.
Mike was also not familiar with his baseline Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA) level and its relation to his prostate health. Prostate cancer is the most serious cause of a high PSA level result, but other non-cancerous prostate health issues will also signal a high PSA level.
"I was told 1 in 5 African-American men will find out they have prostate cancer," Mike said. "I learned more men would have prostate cancer, than women would have breast cancer, and that was just startling."
After talking with his primary care doctor, Mike had a biopsy that showed he had prostate cancer. Following a successful treatment, he has been cancer-free for more than five years.
Since 2009, Mike has worked with the Urology Care Foundation and the NFL on the Know Your Stats about Prostate Cancer® campaign. As spokesperson for this national awareness campaign, he educates men and their families about knowing their prostate cancer risks and the importance of talking with their doctor about their prostate health.
"You don't want to find out you or someone you love has prostate cancer the way I found out," Mike said. "Don't sit on the sidelines. Early detection is key. Know your risk and talk to your doctor about whether prostate cancer testing is right for you."
For more information about prostate cancer, visit
www.KnowYourStats.org
Know Your Stats® Joins CTCA to Educate Fans and Raise Money for Prostate Cancer Research
Know Your Stats® joined the Cancer Treatment Centers of America (CTCA) at a Chicago Bears home game this past fall to educate fans on their prostate cancer risk. CTCA also helped raise money to fight this disease.
Fans entering the stadium received free Prostate Cancer educational materials from a booth staffed by the Know Your Stats® team and CTCA. Throughout the stadium, fans were encouraged to "text to donate" using their cell phones. For every text received, CTCA made a donation in support of Prostate Cancer education and research.
If you would like to donate to the Know Your Stats® campaign, visit www.KnowYourStats.org/Donate