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ESPN broadcaster Jay Harris announced on Thursday he was diagnosed with prostate cancer and will undergo surgery next week to deal with the issue.
Harris appeared on “Good Morning America” and sat down with former New York Giants star Michael Strahan to reveal his personal health battle.
ESPN anchor Jay Harris speaks during the coaches’ forum, an official event during the Coach Woodson Las Vegas Invitational at Impact Basketball Las Vegas on July 9, 2016 in Las Vegas. (Bryan Steffy/Getty Images for PGD Global)
“I was diagnosed with prostate cancer,” he told Strahan. “I’m having surgery on Tuesday. I’ll be away from ‘SportsCenter’ for about a month to recover. Then I’m coming back better than ever.”
Harris said his doctor was “quite optimistic” about his prognosis. He said nothing had spread, according to his latest scans, and was hoping that once the issue is dealt with, then that would be the last of his problems.
The 60-year-old sportscaster said he hoped to spread some awareness and implore men to open up more about getting regular checkups and seeing doctors who can check these things out.
He also wrote about his diagnosis for ESPN.
“My goal in sharing this is to join the many others who also want to normalize this conversation and hopefully provide a bit of guidance and preparation, just as it has been offered to me,” he wrote.
ESPN sportscaster Jay Harris on the field prior to the Celebration Bowl between the Grambling State Tigers and the North Carolina Central Eagles at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta on Dec. 17, 2016. (Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports)
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Harris said he has leaned on colleagues Hannah Storm and Brian Custer, both who have dealt with their own serious health issues over the years. He said they both provided both inspiration and “real talk” about what to expect.
Fox News senior medical analyst Dr. Marc Siegel had previously called out the need for regular screenings.
“[Screenings] decreased in many areas, including California, as the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommended against PSA as a regular screening tool, which I always disagreed with,” he told Fox News Digital earlier this year. “Especially as MRI advanced, so not all elevated PSA automatically meant a biopsy.”
A look at the ESPN logo. (Mike Windle/Getty Images for ESPN)
Based on the increase in prostate cancer cases across all ages, Siegel emphasized the need to “diagnose it early for better outcomes.”
Fox News’ Angelica Stabile contributed to this report.
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https://www.foxnews.com/sports/espn-anchor-jay-harris-reveals-prostate-cancer-diagnosis
