ESPN anchor Jay Harris revealed that he has prostate cancer
SportsCenter host revealed that at age 60 he is facing that diagnosis and is scheduled for surgery on June 10.
Jay Harris, anchor of SportsCenter, revealed at 60 years old that he is battling prostate cancer. On "Good Morning America," the journalist said that he was diagnosed one month ago and plans to undergo surgery on June 10. He will take some time off from the sports show to recover. Harris has been working for the sports network since 2003.
"My doctor is quite optimistic," Harris said. "According to my last scan, nothing has spread, so once we, you know, remove the prostate, hopefully that will be it. That's the goal." He also mentioned that his dad and other relatives battled prostate cancer and emphasized that more people should talk about the illness.
Jay Harris' Career
Jay Harris has been working for ESPN for over 20 years. He also hosted Outside the Lines, NFL Live, Baseball Tonight, and NBA Finals coverage, showing his capability to cover any kind of sport. With him at the lead, SportsCenter won multiple Emmy Awards.
Harris also thanked his co-hosts, Hannah Storm and Brian Custer, who have dealt with cancer. He will leave SportsCenter hosting for a month to recover from the surgery and expects to return "better than ever."
The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force said that middle-aged men should take a yearly screen test in order to prevent any kind of cancer spread. Photo: Freepik
Prostate Cancer is Common in the U.S.
The U.S. National Institutes of Health's National Cancer Center said that prostate cancer is one of the most common cancers diagnosed, only behind skin cancer. It is also the second-leading cause of cancer death among men in the U.S. The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force said that middle-aged men should get screened every year.
Prostate cancer grows very slowly in general. Despite being common, the diagnosis is very treatable, even when it has spread. It can be screened with a blood test called Prostate-Specific Antigen. Catching cancer before symptoms present is the goal of the screening and can be done during medical check-ups.
