Miami Heat great Alonzo Mourning is urging men to be checked for prostate cancer after announcing that he had surgery to remove the condition earlier this year. Mourning, a 54-year-old Heat executive and NBA champion, revealed that a routine exam in late 2022 resulted in a prostate cancer diagnosis. Doctors detected an increase in his Prostate-Specific Antigen (PSA) levels, which could indicate prostate cancer, and ordered an MRI and subsequent biopsy.
“I received the news that, after my biopsy, that I had stage three prostate cancer,” said Mourning in a Tuesday press conference. “Today, right now, I’m cancer-free, thank by the grace of God.”
Mourning’s operation in March was effective in removing the malignancy. He is now cancer-free and is utilizing his platform to raise awareness about the value of early detection. “[I want] to help get the message out about prostate cancer awareness and help men be proactive with their health,” Mourning stated. “Catching it early is critical. That’s the secret to all of this. I hope this kicks off the process of guys starting to talk about their health.
Prior to his news conference, Mourning resorted to social media and shared a photo of himself in A medical facility bed next his doctor.
“It’s extremely important for men, especially middle-aged men, to start getting out in front of it and making sure they address these issues before they escalate into something a lot more serious,” Mourning said. Mourning faced another significant health crisis 24 years ago, when his NBA career was halted after being diagnosed with renal illness in 2000. He had a successful kidney transplant in 2003. The American Cancer Society ranks prostate cancer as the second most frequent cancer among males. Approximately one in every eight men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer over their lifetime, with the average age of diagnosis being 67.
