“Grey’s Anatomy” star James Pickens Jr. gave fans an update on his health after sharing he had been diagnosed with prostate cancer.
Pickens revealed his cancer diagnosis during a recent interview with Black Health Matters. But Pickens shared positive news about his health on Instagram on Nov. 15.
“Hi Friends, I’m blessed and grateful to be cancer-free,” Pickens wrote in the caption. “Thanks so much for all the love and support! Get checked!”
The actor, who plays Dr. Richard Webber on the medical drama, also appeared in a public service announcement video during a recent episode of “Grey’s Anatomy” to discuss prostate cancer, including the increased risks for Black men.
“One in eight men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer in their lifetime,” Pickens said. “For Black men, the risk is even higher.”
The Prostate Cancer Foundation reports that one in six Black men will develop prostate cancer, and Black men are two times more likely to die from the disease.
“Fortunately, prostate cancer is highly treatable, but early detection is the key,” Pickens added. “And sometimes there are no noticeable symptoms. For years, I’ve worked with Black Health Matters to urge men to get screened regularly, starting with a simple blood test. Today, I’m living proof that early detection works.”
During his interview with Black Health Matters, which fell during Movember, a movement to raise awareness for men’s health issues including prostate cancer, Pickens spoke about his diagnosis, including his family’s history with the disease and how the doctors were able to catch the diagnosis early.
“It’s not the kind of news anyone wants to hear, but to be honest, prostate cancer has run through my family,” Pickens told the platform. “My father had it. He had a lot of brothers; several of them had it. I would have been surprised if I hadn’t gotten it.”
Due to his family’s health history, Pickens said that he started to get annual physicals 30 years ago. Pickens also shared that he was 41 when he started to get PSA testing done, which is a blood test used to screen for prostate cancer, per Mayo Clinic.
“My urologist said. ‘Because you were so diligent in that piece of your health, it was to your advantage. We were able to catch it so early because you were being tested,’” Pickens explained.
When Pickens went to get his annual physical, which included a PSA test, in 2024, he was referred to a urologist who said that his numbers were within a normal range, but he’d need to return for testing in a year. After Pickens came back in January, his PSA levels increased, and his doctor referred him back to a urologist.
His urologist ordered an MRI, which revealed “something suspicious.” He was scheduled for a biopsy, which showed a tumor, though a PET scan showed that the cancer was isolated and had not spread.
Pickens was given two treatment options: radiation or a radical prostatectomy. The actor ultimately chose the prostatectomy, which was performed robotically by two urologists and only left him with a one day stay in the hospital following the procedure.
“We caught it really early, and so they thought that would be the best route to take,” Pickens said. “I do have a rare variant that you don’t see very often. They wanted to err on the side of caution and keep an eye on it.”
Early detection was key in Pickens’ case, who told the organization, “It was rare enough that they wanted to make sure that they were crossing all the T’s and dotting all their I’s. But they hadn’t seen one that was detected as early as mine.”