Prostate Cancer: Warren Buffett, Ryan O'Neal And Other Celebrities Affected By The Condition

Warren Buffett has been diagnosed with stage 1 prostate cancer, according to a statement from Buffett and his company, Berkshire Hathaway, to shareholders.

In the letter, Buffett says he feels great, and that doctors don't believe his condition is life-threatening. He plans to begin a two-month course of radiation treatment mid-July.

At 81, a prostate cancer diagnosis is not entirely surprising. According to the Cleveland Clinic, 80 percent of men who reach their 80s will have some cancerous cells in the prostate.

The severity of prostate cancer is measured in stages. Stage 1 is the least advanced, and only found within the prostate, according to The National Cancer Institute. It is detected by biopsy, testing for a man's Gleason score and PSA (prostate-specific antigen) level. The higher the PSA level in the blood, the more likely there is cancer. "I discovered the cancer because my PSA level ... recently jumped beyond its normal elevation and a biopsy seemed warranted," Buffett said in the statement.

Buffett's diagnosis comes on the heels of actor Ryan O'Neal's announcement late last week that he has recently been diagnosed with stage 2 prostate cancer.

The actor, 70, who previously battled leukemia, said in a statement: "Although I was shocked and stunned by the news, I feel fortunate that it was detected early and according to my extraordinary team of doctors the prognosis is positive for a full recovery," People reported.

O'Neal and Buffett are among the growing ranks of men who have opted to speak out about their diagnoses, in the hopes of raising awareness for a disease that kills more than 28,000 men a year, according to the American Cancer Society. Here's a look at a few of those famous faces.

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• Jerry Orbach

  The long-time "Law & Order" star announced his prostate cancer diagnosis in late 2004, at the age of 69. His manager said that he had been <a href="http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/6765565/ns/today-entertainment/t/law-order-star-jerry-orbach-dies/#.T42htzLLzac" target="_hplink">receiving treatment since the spring</a>, and the series creator Dick Wolf told "People" that Orbach was <a href="http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,845383,00.html" target="_hplink">expected to make a full recovery</a>, but he <a href="http://gothamist.com/2004/12/29/farewell_jerry_orbach_has_died.php" target="_hplink">died just a few weeks later</a>.

• Robert De Niro

  Little was disclosed about the actor's battle with prostate cancer, other than his 2003 diagnosis and the fact that <a href="http://articles.cnn.com/2003-10-20/entertainment/deniro.cancer_1_prostate-cancer-stan-rosenfield-full-recovery?_s=PM:SHOWBIZ" target="_hplink">doctors predicted a full recovery</a>, according to De Niro's spokesman. <a href="http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2003-10-21-prostate-cancer-cover_x.htm" target="_hplink">His father died of cancer</a> in 1993 at the age of 71, according to <em>USA Today</em>, but De Niro was given a clean bill of health, even <a href="http://www.everydayhealth.com/prostate-cancer-pictures/famous-men-who-battled-prostate-cancer.aspx#/slide-2" target="_hplink">becoming a father for the sixth time in 2011</a>.

• Nelson Mandela

  The former South African president was diagnosed with prostate cancer in July 2001, at the age of 83. Sixteen years earlier, he had surgery to remove some <a href="http://www.everydayhealth.com/prostate-cancer-pictures/famous-men-who-battled-prostate-cancer.aspx#/slide-11" target="_hplink">benign tumors on his prostate</a>, but a spokeswoman said the tumor was "microscopic" and would not require surgery this time. Instead, Mandela was treated with <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/1454103.stm" target="_hplink">seven weeks of radiation</a>.

• Rudy Giuliani

  The former New York City mayor's father died of prostate cancer, so when he was diagnosed, he told <em>USA Today</em>, "I wished it would just go away." He said he didn't have any symptoms, but after a routine physical his doctor wanted him to see a urologist. After he was diagnosed, he opted for hormone therapy and radiation treatment and <a href="http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/spotlighthealth/2002-10-14-giuliani_x.htm" target="_hplink">urges all men over 50 to get screened</a>.

• Joe Torre

  "In 1999 when I was first diagnosed <a href="http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/spotlighthealth/2003-06-10-torre_x.htm" target="_hplink">I had no symptoms</a>," the retired baseball manager, told <em>USA Today</em>. "When my prostate was removed, it was actually very normal looking. That's why they call it a silent killer." He was 58 at the time -- and his daughter only 3. "I wanted to be around for her," he told the <em>New York Times</em>, opting for <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/29/sports/baseball/joe-torre-and-baseball-putting-the-focus-on-prostate-cancer.html" target="_hplink">aggressive surgery</a>. He has since spoken out in hopes of raising awareness.

• Colin Powell

  The former Secretary of State had successful surgery in 2003 to <a href="http://articles.cnn.com/2003-12-15/us/powell.surgery_1_prostate-cancer-slow-growing-cancer-hormone-therapy?_s=PM:US" target="_hplink">remove his prostate</a> at age 66. Doctors didn't expect him to require much further care after <a href="http://www.webmd.com/prostate-cancer/news/20031215/colin-powell-undergoes-prostate-surgery" target="_hplink">two weeks of recuperation after the operation</a>.

• John Kerry

  The senator underwent surgery in 2003 to remove his prostate, after being diagnosed with the disease that <a href="http://www.salon.com/2003/02/13/kerry_7/" target="_hplink">killed his father only three years earlier</a>. "Senator Kerry is a poster boy for early detection," his surgeon said in a statement. "We caught this very early and for that reason the prognosis couldn't be more optimistic." "It may sound strange to some of you, but I really feel very lucky as I stand here," Kerry said at a news conference, the <em>New York Times</em> reported. "And the reason I feel lucky is that <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2003/02/12/us/kerry-to-undergo-surgery-for-prostate-cancer-today.html" target="_hplink">I'm going to be cured</a>."

• Andrew Lloyd Weber

  In 2009, at age 61, the composer behind musicals including "The Phantom of the Opera" and "Evita" announced he was being treated for <a href="http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20315334,00.html" target="_hplink">early stage prostate cancer</a>. In 2010, after getting a clean bill of health, Lloyd Weber, who was <a href="http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,569475,00.html#ixzz1sK0TNL9f" target="_hplink">knighted in 1992</a> and named to Britain's House of Lords in 1997, spoke out in favor of prostate cancer <a href="http://www.webmd.boots.com/prostate-cancer/news/20100720/lloyd-webber-demands-prostate-cancer-screening" target="_hplink">screening for all men over 50</a>.

• Arnold Palmer

  The golf legend was in the news recently after being hospitalized for <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/03/26/arnold-palmer-high-blood-pressure-hypertension-medication_n_1379959.html" target="_hplink">high blood pressure as a result of a new medication</a>, but he also made health headlines for beating prostate cancer in 1997. Deciding to have surgeons <a href="http://www.everydayhealth.com/prostate-cancer/0606/arnold-palmer-tees-up-for-prostate-cancer-awareness.aspx" target="_hplink">remove his prostate completely</a>, Palmer later told WebMD, "was probably the best thing I ever did."

• Dennis Hopper

  The actor, best known for starring in "Easy Rider," lost his battle with prostate cancer in 2010 <a href="http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20337801,00.html" target="_hplink">at the age of 74</a>. He <a href="http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/gossip/2010/01/dennis-hopper-divorce-prostate-cancer.html" target="_hplink">filed for divorce</a> in the middle of his illness, just as he began a round of chemotherapy, saying in a statement "I... only want to spend these difficult days surrounded by my children and close friends." He was honored with a <a href="http://articles.latimes.com/2010/may/30/local/la-me-hopper-20100530" target="_hplink">star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame</a> in March, just months before passing away.

• Bob Dole

  The now-retired Kansas senator was diagnosed and treated for prostate cancer in 1991. He credits <a href="http://articles.chicagotribune.com/1992-05-18/news/9202140781_1_prostate-cancer-early-detection-dole" target="_hplink">early detection</a> as key to beating the disease, and afterward gave interviews, appeared in TV ads and spoke to Congress to promote communication between men and their doctors about <a href="http://www.cbsnews.com/2100-204_162-9004.html" target="_hplink">prostate-related problems</a>.

• Harry Belafonte

  In the mid-90s, the singer was diagnosed with prostate cancer after a routine checkup. Surgeons successfully <a href="http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20142089,00.html" target="_hplink">removed his prostate</a> and he began to speak out in hopes of raising public awareness of a disease he called "an epidemic." He focused in particular on how men in the past seemed <a href="http://articles.latimes.com/1997-04-21/news/ls-50829_1_prostate-cancer" target="_hplink">too "macho" to discuss prostate cancer</a>. He told the <em>LA Times</em>: <blockquote>The prostate is something that attacks that central part of the male body that men are very preoccupied with. Somehow, any disorder there means your life is over, you can't be a man anymore, you are now something less.</blockquote>

• Francois Mitterand

  The former president of France was diagnosed with prostate cancer soon after he was elected in 1981, but didn't announce his illness to the public for more than 10 years, after he had <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/1996/01/10/news/10iht-mitt.t_0.html" target="_hplink">surgery in 1992</a>. Only <a href="http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,984025,00.html" target="_hplink">one in 10 men with his diagnosis survives</a> longer than a decade, according to "Time," but he did, thanks to a treatment regimen of hormones and other therapies, according to the <em>New York Times</em>, until his <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/january/8/newsid_4489000/4489322.stm" target="_hplink">death in 1996</a>, at 79, from the disease.

• Eddie Montgomery

  Country musician and member of Montgomery Gentry band said in a statement that he had been <a href="http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20443662,00.html" target="_hplink">diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2010</a>. "I will be undergoing surgery to remove the cancerous tumor in December," he said. "I will be back in January ready to rock for all the fans!" "People" reported.

• Don Imus

  The controversial radio host announced his diagnosis of <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/03/16/don-imus-i-have-prostate_n_175203.html" target="_hplink">Stage 2 prostate cancer</a> on his morning show in 2009. He <a href="http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20265826,00.html" target="_hplink">said the prognosis was positive</a>, and that he had great faith in his doctors, People.com reported. "I'll be fine. If I'm not fine, then I won't be fine. And it's not a big deal," he said.

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Comments

[Julie99]

10:28 AM on 04/23/2012

My friend's dad had this and he mistakenly took the radiation therapy. It came back with a vengence, then, few tell you, that once you are radiated, you cannot have surgery.
Warren should rethink his decision. There is also a place in Florida that our friend had 3 months to live. He, was biochemist, and sought out AP Johns research center. Immediately, he reduced his cancer by 2/3 ds. He kept up going to work and doing fine for another 3 years plus.
He felt compelled to do some chemo to get rid of the last bit of cancer, and, that is what did not help him.
These little known researchers use foods containing amino acids to conquer cancer and blends of other treatments for certain cancers..

[Tony Baja]

12:07 PM on 04/20/2012

There is new medical treatment being studied, that is showing real encouraging results, and those results are showing little to NO side effects from the treatment, there is an article at;
http://tony-baja-health-resort.blogspot.com/

[illinwek]

03:37 PM on 04/19/2012

The secret to a happy and healty marriage is for the wife to see she keeps her husband's prostate empty and his stomach full. If they don't , I guess they just don't care.

Assistance from Rosie Palms should not be necessary. If that was sufficient we likely would not have gotten maried in the first place. We would just relax by going fishing...

[Left of Right]

11:50 AM on 04/19/2012

Clark Howard has it as well. Stage 1.

Botomm line: you guys have to be very diligent about getting it checked, because it is ver treatable when catching it early and should not shorten your life at all, not change your lifestyle.

We have a friend who is mid-fifties, has always been super healthy, great job and insurance, and simply did not bother to go for check-ups for about 8 years. He started having some problems, went in for a check, and has stage 4 prostate cancer meaning has spread to lymph nodes and other organs.

There was no reason for this. He's married and they have 3 boys.

Don't be him. Cough for the doc.

[BookQueen]

10:16 PM on 04/18/2012

Two tips -

eating tomato sauce reduces your chance of getting prostate cancer. Watermelon, too, I think

some say having more orgasms reduces your chances of getting prostate cancer, although the data isn't as strong for that. On the other hand, it can't hurt to have more orgasms.

[jf12]

11:57 PM on 04/18/2012

Actually the data a pretty conclusive. Absolutely the worst possible scenario for a man is to have a lot of orgasms when young then none when old. That behavior is the recipe for prostate cancer - basically, the cause (behaviorally). What seems to be quite prophylactic is *regular* orgasms (not necessarily just more, but more regularly spaced). Having four orgasms in one weekend, for example, and then none for another month, is very bad for prostates, much worse than once every week. But it's the "none for a long while" that's bad.

[Bellanova]

12:34 AM on 04/19/2012

1. The data is not conclusive. We are talking a (murky) correlation and not at all causation. Therefore "the recipe" does not apply. But even if it did...

2. There is absolutely nothing, save paralysis, that stops you from having as many orgasms as you wish at any time of your life. Your health is in your hands.

[Bellanova]

01:00 AM on 04/19/2012

3. Now about them overcoats.

[illinwek]

08:41 PM on 04/18/2012

This will be news to the Heart Association. The "silent killer" has long been associated with Hypertension (High Bllod Pressure) and Stroke . But ou knew that (or should have known).

Don't try to steal others "tag lines"..........................Hurrumph @!

[peterklika]

07:57 PM on 04/18/2012

So its only important when celebs get cancer? This is a disservice to those cancer patients who dont have a publicist to advertise their "suffering".

[illinwek]

08:42 PM on 04/18/2012

Forget it.. All news that alerts a lethargic public is good news ....... As in politics, all publicity is GOOD publicity

[Left of Right]

12:00 PM on 04/19/2012

Come on now Peter, no one has ever said it is only important if a celeb has cancer, and certainly not this article.

But celebrities can often play an important role in providing a reminder or impetus to make us get that check-up done.

Katie Couric's loss do her husband and colon cancer campaign has served to give countless people the determination to go and get their own check-ups.

[Felix99]

07:49 PM on 04/18/2012

Get the prostate cut out!!! The chances are excellent that you will get it all in that operation. Then, if that doesn't do it all, although at this point it should, then try the radiation. If you try the radiation first, then you will probably never have a chance to have it operated on, not sure why they won't operate after you've begun radiation. The surgeons these days are great and have fantastic tools. Besides, I believe you are limited in the number of radiation treatments you can get, and then what.

[peterklika]

07:59 PM on 04/18/2012

You are very misinformed. Have you ever heard of "watchful waiting"? Why not suggest bleeding with leeches or a poultice of mule dung?

[Felix99]

08:16 PM on 04/18/2012

Because an operation gets rid of it once and for all.

[illinwek]

08:43 PM on 04/18/2012

Really bad advice if you ever intened to have sex again. That is 1980's technology. Lots of other choices.

[roudy]

10:45 AM on 04/19/2012

Indeed there are.

[lklex]

07:41 PM on 04/18/2012

This year, nearly a quarter million male Americans will be diagnosed with prostate cancer and nearly 30,000 will succumb to the disease. Tragically, despite those grim statistics and indisputable facts that, compared to their female counterparts, male Americans have a significantly higher overall age-adjusted cancer mortality rate and a significantly shorter life expectancy: Congress has failed to authorize a Prostate Cancer Awareness stamp like the Breast Cancer Awareness stamp, which has generated many millions of dollars for breast cancer research; the federal government spends far more tax dollars for education, research, screening and treatment programs for combating breast cancer than for combating prostate cancer; there is no office on men's health anywhere in the federal government like the offices on women's health at NIH, the CDC, the FDA and DHHS; there is no Wiseman program offering free cancer and heart disease screening to uninsured men, like the federal Wisewoman program; there is no Obamacare "wellman" annual physical exam for men, like the Obamacare "wellwoman" annual physical exam; and, while the White House gladly glowed pink last October in observance of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, it refused to glow blue in September in observance of Prostate Cancer Awareness Month. What about the war -- waged by persistent governmental neglect -- on men? Evidently, the Obama administration is wedded to a feminist policy of widening the already huge gender gap in life expectancy, leaving men stranded on the short side of the gender divide.

[peterklika]

08:05 PM on 04/18/2012

Bravo! But don't expect Americans to get it. Expect that more American women will get breast cancer from exposure to aluminum in anti-perspirants, residue of dry cleaning fluids, hair coloring, and household cleaners and insecticides. But don't expect the AMA to tell you this. They want to cut, burn, and poison with radiation. That's where the money is. Peter Klika, Kapaau, Hawaii. Women don't poison themselves here.

[bkbcountry]

07:36 PM on 04/18/2012

My dad was diagnosed with Prostate cancer at 84 yrs of age, the urologist told me that if 100 men age 84 died today, Appr 80% will have prostate cancer, fortunately natural causes will be the leading cause of death for this age group not the prostate cancer, furthermore the dr said appr 50% would have it but not know it. PSA screenings is the key gentlemen.

[calglo]

07:16 PM on 04/18/2012

I read years ago that most men who live long enough will get prostate cancer.

[roudy]

10:46 AM on 04/19/2012

Correct, and it often does not require any treatment.

[fireart]

06:58 PM on 04/18/2012

What is the prostate cancer rate for Mormans compared to Catholics. Or vagens as to meat eaters. How about Holy-rollers as compared to Four-square. Or alcoholics and drug users to non users. Im sure there are surveys for that.

[pepper1311]

04:04 PM on 04/18/2012

I would question DeNiro having six kids after prostatectomy, one does not shoot anymore.

[fireart]

06:44 PM on 04/18/2012

Sheeee! Dont let him know.

[bmitche]

03:39 PM on 04/18/2012

What is a bit puzzling about the disease is that some men never get it.

[pepper1311]

04:02 PM on 04/18/2012

NO most do but die of another cause.

[lklex]

07:51 PM on 04/18/2012

There is absolutely no clinical evidence supporting your assertion that MOST men get prostate cancer. Prostate cancer, however, is an extremely serious disease, afflicting millions of male Americans and, this year, will claim the lives of nearly 30,000 of them. Far more resources -- including federal tax dollars -- need to be devoted to developing better screening modalities for early detection, especially of aggressive forms of the disease.

[magnumxe]

07:15 PM on 04/18/2012

eat foods rich in Zink , Punkin seed oil is a great start to keep from have trouble with the prostrate. You can buy capsels with punkin seed oil at a healt food store

[DennisTheMenance]

02:11 PM on 04/18/2012

I wonder How much $ , WB will Give to his Hospital For this, ?
Will He donate $1 Billion for a New Hospital in His Name?
And I wonder if he will Bother with Being "Treated" and go thru all the Pain and Suffering that goes along With it..
And Has Proven not to Extend One's Quality of Life any longer vs Not Treating it..?