In early October 2016, actor and comedian Ben Stiller, now 51, shocked fans and colleagues when he announced he had been diagnosed with prostate cancer two years earlier.
But he wasn’t alone: More than 200,000 American men are diagnosed with prostate cancer each year, according to the National Cancer Institute (NCI). It occurs when cells in the prostate – a male gland that produces seminal fluid – start to grow uncontrollably. In many cases, it’s a slow-growing cancer, and treatments range from careful monitoring to surgery, radiation and chemotherapy, the NCI says.
The American Cancer Society advises most men to begin testing for prostate cancer at age 50. Screening is recommended at age 45 for African Americans and those with a close relative who was diagnosed with the disease before they were 65; those with more than one close relative should start tests at 40.
Read on to learn about Stiller and other famous men who have been diagnosed with prostate cancer.









