What Mid-Life Men Need to Know about Prostate Cancer

By Bob Larkin

It was June 23, 1984, and I was at Wrigley Field with my dad. Just before first pitch, he handed me a hot dog, pointed toward second base, and said, “If the Cubs have any chance of making it to the World Series, it’s Ryno.”

He meant Ryne Sandberg, the Hall of Fame second baseman, nine-time Gold Glove winner, and ten-time All-Star, the guy who made Cubs fans believe in the impossible.

The Cubs, of course, did not make it to the World Series that year. Or the next. Or the next 31. But that day?

That was The Sandberg Game, when Ryno hit game-tying homers in both the 9th and 10th innings off Hall of Famer Bruce Sutter, leading the Cubs to a 12-11 victory.

“Do you believe it?! It’s gone!” Bob Costas shouted, in a broadcast that still lives rent-free in many Gen X brains.

I was 11, covered in mustard, and completely hooked. That day, I fell in love with baseball, and with Ryno.

Forty years later, Sandberg announced he had metastatic prostate cancer. And in true Ryno fashion, he stepped up to the plate. He shared his entire journey: the chemo, the radiation, the hope.

For a while, it looked like he’d won. But the cancer came back and spread. In late July, he passed away at 65. It was a gut punch, but also a wake-up call.

Time to Play Defense

Prostate cancer is the second most common cancer in men, but it's also one of the most treatable, if you catch it early.

The test you should be talking to your doctor about is called the prostate-specific antigen test, or PSA.

“PSA testing helps us find men at risk and those who are not,” says Elizabeth Kavaler, MD, a urologist and medical director at Total Urology Care of New York.

“It’s not a perfect test, but it’s the best we’ve got, and it’s saved countless lives over the years.” 

A high PSA level doesn’t always mean cancer. It could be triggered by exercise, sex, or just having a generously sized prostate (bragging rights optional).

But it’s the starting line. If it’s elevated, doctors may follow up with an MRI and a targeted biopsy.

No Longer One-Strike-and-Out

Back in the day, a scary PSA number almost always led to surgery, often with brutal consequences—one reason why many men today avoid the test.

“We used to do tons of prostate surgeries, removing their prostates completely,” Kavaler says. It saved their lives, but “many of these men were rendered incontinent, impotent and miserable,” she says.

Today, things are different. For many, treatment doesn’t mean surgery. New options like cryotherapy (freezing the tumor) or radiofrequency ablation (zapping it) can treat small tumors while leaving the rest of the prostate (and your dignity) intact.

“We’re still getting used to the idea that cancer can often be something you manage rather than something you eradicate,” says Kavaler. “You still monitor it, but it can be managed.”

If you’re over 50, ask your doctor about getting a PSA test. If you’re high-risk — Black men, men with a family history — start earlier.

If Ryno could stare down Bruce Sutter and cancer, the least you can do is make a doctor’s appointment.

And hey, if the Cubs can finally win a World Series, anything’s possible.