49ers TE George Kittle Teams Up With Novartis For Prostate Cancer Awareness

San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle has teamed up with Novartis, the NFL's first-ever pharmaceutical partner, to raise awareness of prostate cancer and encourage men to take action through blood-test screening.

"My family connection to prostate cancer comes from my grandpa, my dad's dad. He had prostate cancer about eight to ten years ago and thankfully survived it. He has since passed away, but that was simply due to old age," shared Kittle in an interview with 49ers on SI.

"When he passed, I started talking to my dad more about my grandpa and his experience with prostate cancer. It was around the same time I started talking with Novartis about a potential partnership, so the two things went hand in hand. It was a strange connection at just the right time.

"I learned that one in eight men will test positive for prostate cancer, which I think are incredible odds. I had no idea that was the case."

Kittle's aim with this campaign is to encourage open conversations with friends and family about getting a blood test. Novartis states that "prostate cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer and the second leading cause of cancer death among men in the United States".

He wants to encourage people to be more open about the subject and help break down the stigma surrounding it, ultimately encouraging them to speak to a doctor if needed.

"To an extent, I think things are getting better [with more awareness]. More people are becoming aware and wanting to learn more," shared Kittle.

"But, like I said, I've never really had a conversation about it with my friendship group. We never talked about it until I started working with Novartis and brought it up. I asked my friends, 'Have you guys ever thought about this?' and they said no.

San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle — Image Credit: Novartis

"I told them they should maybe have a conversation with their dads and bring it up with them. It's a pretty simple blood test.

"I think we're possibly getting past the taboo, but at the same time, you still have friends who say, 'I'm good. I don't need that. I don't need to talk about it.'

"It's like, 'Hey, man, I just want what's best for you. I want you to live a long life so we can go and play plenty of golf together.' So, if you need to get a blood test, just go and get one. It's pretty easy."

The campaign highlights the importance of early detection and encourages men to find out more at RelaxItsaBloodTest.com. Novartis states that "early detection leads to a greater than 99% relative 5-year survival rate."

Kittle followed up with some powerful words, highlighting the importance of awareness, early detection and supporting those affected by cancer: "We're all in this life together, and I'd much rather help as many people as I can than just focus on doing things on my own.

"If I can spread a little awareness and encourage a few guys who otherwise wouldn't get tested to go and have a blood test that might save their lives, then I think that's absolutely worth working with Novartis for.

"It's something that affects all of us, so we just want to spread awareness and keep people up to date with current developments and what's going on."

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