Good Lifestyle

From Zoolander to There's Something About Mary, Ben Stiller has built his career on making audiences laugh—but in 2014, the star went through a health scare that was no laughing matter. At the age of 48, the Emmy Award-winning actor learned that he had an aggressive form of prostate cancer, despite having no known risk factors for the disease. After undergoing treatment and being declared cancer-free, he's now spreading the word about the simple test that saved his life. Read on to find out how Stiller learned he had cancer, and why he says many men are missing out on this life-saving opportunity.

Kaugnay:John Tesh Says This Was the Sign That His Cancer Had Returned.

When Stiller was 46, he went to see his doctor, Bernard Kruger, MD, for a regular check up. Kruger talked to him about his age-based risk of prostate cancer and recommended a blood test to get a baseline reading of the actor's prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels. When the results came back, his numbers were high, but not necessarily troubling. Kruger opted for a "wait and see" approach, retesting him every six months over the next two years.AE0FCC31AE342FD3A1346EBB1F342FCB.

During that time, Stiller's PSA numbers steadily rose—a subtle change indicating a problem that would've been undetectable without that initial screening. Finally reaching levels that his doctor found alarming, the actor underwent additional testing, including a digital prostate exam, MRI, and eventually a biopsy. These tests ultimately confirmed a diagnosis of prostate cancer. "If I hadn'tgotten the test… right now I still wouldn't have known," he told radio host Howard Stern during a 2016 interview.

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The Zoolander actor credits his doctor and the PSA test for saving his life, but notes that the test itself is hotly debated among medical professionals. "It's a very controversial subject, the PSA test," Stiller told Stern. "A PSA test is the only early screener for prostate cancer, and right now the United States Preventive Services Task Force does not recommend to take the test. I think the American Cancer Society says you should discuss it at 50."

He elaborated on the controversy in an essay he wrote for Medium in 2016. "The criticism of the test is that depending on how they interpret the data, doctors can send patients for further tests like the MRI and the more invasive biopsy, when not needed. Physicians can find low-risk cancers that are not life threatening, especially to older patients," he explained. "In some cases, men with this type of cancer get 'over-treatment' like radiation or surgery, resulting in side effects such as impotence or incontinence. Obviously this is not good; however it's all in the purview of the doctor treating the patient."

Stiller is especially grateful for the early cancer screening given that he had no family history of the disease and no reason to believe he was at high risk. This fact also made his diagnosis that much more shocking, said the star. "It came out of the blue for me… I had no idea," he told Stern. "I didn't know what was going to happen, so I was scared," he admitted.

After learning of his condition, Stiller spent time researching other entertainers who had survived his diagnosis. He quickly learned that one of his former co-stars had battled the same form of cancer and won. "The first thing I did when I got diagnosed was get on the Internet to try to learn," he said. "Nakita ko[Robert] De Niro had had it. I called him right away." Over the years, the pair had co-starred in three comedies together: Meet the Parents (2000), Meet the Fockers (2004), and Little Fockers (2010).

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In part due to his early diagnosis, Stiller received prompt treatment and made a lightening-fast recovery. "I got diagnosed with prostate cancer Biyernes, Hunyo 13, 2014. Noong Setyembre 17 ng taong iyon nakuha ko ang isang pagsubok sa likod na nagsasabi sa akin na libre ako. Ang tatlong buwan sa pagitan ay isang crazy roller coaster ride na kung saan ang tungkol sa 180,000 lalaki sa isang taon sa Amerika ay maaaring makilala, "wrote ang bituin. Ang" roller coaster "ay kasangkot sa pagpupulong sa ilang mga urologists para sa pangalawang at pangatlong opinyon sa kanyang kurso ng paggamot, at isang matagumpay na laparoscopic surgery sa.Alisin ang kanyang prosteyt-Ang pamamaraan na naka-save sa kanyang buhay.

Ngayon ganap na nakuhang muli, masigasig ay matatag na ang iba pang mga tao ay dapat magkaroon ng parehong access sa pagsubok at paggamot na ginawa niya, salamat sa proactive diskarte ng kanyang doktor. "Sa palagay ko ang mga lalaki sa edad na 40 ay dapat magkaroon ng pagkakataon na talakayin ang pagsubok sa kanilang doktor at matutunan ang tungkol dito, upang magkaroon sila ng pagkakataong ma-screen. Pagkatapos ng isang matalinong pasyente ay maaaring gumawa ng mga responsableng pagpipilian kung paano magpatuloy, "Ang aktor ay sumulat para sa.Daluyan.

"Ito ang ikalawang pinaka-nakamamatay na kanser, ngunit ito rin ay isa sa mga pinaka-survived cancers, kung ito ay napansin maaga," idinagdag niya sa panahon ng kanyang pakikipanayam sa radyo sa istrikto. Makipag-usap sa iyong doktor upang malaman kung ang isang pagsubok sa PSA ay maaaring tama para sa iyo.

Kaugnay:Ang Al Roker ay nagbabala sa lahat na gawin ito pagkatapos ng diagnosis ng kanser.