Victorious Against Prostate Cancer: Triumphs of Sports Legends, Myself, and Millions

Hall of Famers and prominent sports figures are living testimonials for President Biden’s fight against prostate cancer.

Defeating Prostate Cancer - President Biden, Dusty Baker, Shannon Sharpe, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and Ken Griffey Jr. | USA Today, Getty, Astros, MLB

HOUSTON — As Sunday's commencement exercises across the nation filled social media feeds and timelines of millions, the news of President Joseph Biden's prostate cancer diagnosis became the top story.   

The President's personal office released the following statement:

"Last week, President Joe Biden was seen for a new finding of a prostate nodule after experiencing increasing urinary symptoms. On Friday, he was diagnosed with prostate cancer, characterized by a Gleason score of 9 (Grade Group 5) with metastasis to the bone. While this represents a more aggressive form of the disease, the cancer appears to be hormone-sensitive, which allows for effective management. The President and his family are reviewing treatment options with his physicians."

Defeating Prostate Cancer - President Biden, Dusty Baker, Shannon Sharpe, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and Ken Griffey Jr. | USA Today, Getty, Astros, MLB

MY TESTIMONY

I am a prostate cancer survivor. My urologist made an early diagnosis of the disease. I underwent a series of radiation treatments and have been declared cancer-free.

Unfortunately, many men, like President Biden, are unaware that prostate cancer can silently destroy our bodies and become rapidly aggressive. My father, three uncles, and several friends had prostate cancer.

Kyle T. Mosley - Ringing the bell after successfully undergoing prostate cancer treatments. | Kyle T. Mosley

African American men are at a higher risk of developing prostate cancer, and many die from the disease due to failure to get regular PSA (prostate-specific antigen) blood tests and digital check-ups from a physician. Quite frankly, many have misconceptions of the examination process and avoid it because it may question their "manhood."

SPORTS LEGENDS FOUGHT AND WON

Hall of Famers supporting HBCU sports include Shannon Sharpe, Ken Griffey Jr., Dusty Baker, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and broadcaster Brian Custer, who have battled prostate cancer. Like myself, an early diagnosis is treatable, and I encourage men who may have a genetic predisposition to the disease to get checked as soon as possible.

“I’m acutely aware that many others in the Black community do not have the same options and that it is my responsibility to join with those fighting to change that,” Abdul-Jabbar wrote in a recent essay. “Because Black lives are at risk. Serious risk.”

Feb 4, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; NBA Hall of Famer and UCLA Bruin alumni Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and NBA Hall of Famer and Michigan State Spartans alumni share a moment during the game between the two school at Pauley Pavilion presented by Wescom. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

“I’m acutely aware that many others in the Black community do not have the same options and that it is my responsibility to join with those fighting to change that...Because Black lives are at risk. Serious risk.”

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

President Biden is not directly involved with HBCU sports, but has consistently supported our colleges and universities before, during, and after his presidency.

Get checked, today's sports fans. Have the courage, tenacity, and sheer determination to fight the disease. You can overcome and be healed, as those sports legends' lives serve as testimonies.

Sending out special prayers to President Biden and everyone who is undergoing treatments to fight prostate cancer.

I pray this message will resonate in your spirit and inspire you to act, especially if you're a black male past 35.

We shall see.

Go to ZERO Prostate Cancer and the Prostate Cancer Foundation for infomation on prostate cancer and treatment options.

Feb 2, 2019; Atlanta, GA, USA; Shannon Sharpe during red carpet arrivals for the NFL Honors show at the Fox Theatre. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images | Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

FROM ZERO PROSTATE CANCER

Black and African American men are much more likely to develop prostate cancer. One in six Black men will develop prostate cancer in his lifetime—compared to one in eight men overall.

Black men are 1.7 times more likely to be diagnosed with—and 2.1 times more likely to die from—prostate cancer than white men. Black men are also slightly more likely than white men to be diagnosed with advanced disease.

While there is no clear reason for these differences, several factors can impact cancer risk and outcomes in the Black and African American community.

• Because of historical context, race in the United States is correlated with socioeconomic status, and lower socioeconomic status is correlated with increased cancer risk and worse outcomes.
• Black men may be harmed by racial bias in preventive care. They are less likely than white men to be offered the option of having a PSA test and are more likely than white men to be told that the benefits of the PSA test are uncertain.
•  found that African American men diagnosed with early-stage prostate cancer were less likely than white men to receive any type of treatment for that cancer.

The good news is that prostate cancer is very treatable when detected early.

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