’12 Years a Slave’ Film Director Steve McQueen, 55, Just Beat Prostate Cancer; His Private Fight & Crucial Lessons For Men

RELATED: Prostate Cancer: Overview  

Sharing his cancer news to Deadline this month, McQueen explained that the discovery of a cancerous tumor in 2022 led to the mass being surgically removed and him now being “fully recovered and fully functional.”

McQueen said his cancer battle also led to a two-week production delay in the 2024 war/drama film “Blitz,” however, at the time he chose to keep his diagnosis private to prevent anyone from being “concerned”

He told Deadline, “And that was it. I really just wanted to get on with the job. And that’s kind of like who I am. I’m a ‘get on with it’ kind of person.”

As for how he’s doing now, he said, “The cancer’s gone and that’s down to early detection. Early detection means virtually a hundred percent success rate.

“Again, it’s a cancer that if you detect early, it’s totally survivable and curable.”

McQueen, whose cancerous tumor was found early due to routine checks and prostate-specific antigen (PSA) tests, added, “In some ways, you could say, my dad saved my life because unfortunately he died of it.”

After making a speech at the United Kingdom’s House of Commons to support Prostate Cancer Research, McQueen made the following statement, according to the Guardian, “As a Black man, I knew that risk was even higher. For a number of years I had been proactive in getting tested.

“I underwent regular MRI scans and PSA tests. Thankfully, my cancer was detected very early.”

He continued, “It was challenging, but I count myself as one of the lucky ones. I’m also fortunate enough to have a loving family to support me.

“When caught early, survival rates are extremely high, but if diagnosed late, survival rates drop dramatically. That’s why I’m speaking out today. It’s vital that we address the urgent need for a national prostate cancer screening programme – a step that could save countless lives if only we had the political will to make it happen. It’s appalling that so many men are left to navigate this on their own.”

A Prostate Cancer Risk: Family History

For prostate cancer, screening saves lives, family history can matter a lot, but you should also understand that leading doctors in the field debate when men actually need screening.

“It’s estimated that five to ten percent of prostate cancer can run in families,” says Dr. James Brooks, Chief of Urologic Oncology at Stanford Medicine.

If You Have a Family History of Prostate Cancer, Get Screened Early

If you have a close relative who has had prostate cancer, such as a brother or father, the risk you will develop prostate cancer in your lifetime is almost double. Men with a family history tend to get prostate cancer at a younger age, so Dr. Brooks recommends getting screened in some cases as early as age 45 by having a PSA test.

Early detection can help reduce the risk of cancer spreading to other organs. The National Comprehensive Cancer Network also recommends germline genetic testing for men with high-risk prostate cancer.

But, screening can also open up a whole can of worms, finding cancers that are slow growing and may not need aggressive treatment. Still, when most men are told they have prostate cancer, they want it out. That’s understandable.

Additionally, men of certain ethnicities who are at a higher risk of getting the disease may also want to consider screening early. For example, the incidence of prostate cancer in African American men is 60% higher, and they are two to three times more likely to die from the disease.

RELATED: Staggeringly Higher Prostate Cancer Rates for Black & Latino Men

Understanding Prostate Cancer

If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with prostate cancer, it’s important to remember that most types of prostate cancers are treatable. According to the National Cancer Institute, the five-year survival rate of prostate cancer in the U.S. is 97.1%. There is, however, a small number of men whose type of prostate cancer may become unresponsive to treatment, for example, when cancer cells develop a resistance hormone therapy, the treatment may no longer work.

Prostate cancer begins in the prostate the walnut-shaped gland located between the rectum and bladder that produces the fluid that nourishes sperm. Outside of skin cancers, prostate cancer is the most common cancer in American men with about one in eight men being diagnosed with this disease during his lifetime.

Also, a prostate cancer diagnosis is not always preceded by symptoms. And even when symptoms do occur, they can be inconsistent and hard to pinpoint.

“Prostate cancer is a very odd disease in that it doesn’t have a particular symptom,” Dr. Edwin Posadas, director of translational oncology and the medical director of the Urologic Oncology Program at Cedars-Sinai, told SurvivorNet.

Still, it’s important to note changes in urinary function, like urinating more or less often or waking up at night to go more than usual, could be a sign of prostate cancer. So, even if you think there’s nothing to worry about, always talk to your doctor about changes to your health when they occur.

There are many different treatment options for both early and later-stage prostate cancer including active surveillance, watchful waiting, surgery, radiation, cryotherapy, hormone therapy, chemotherapy, immunotherapy and targeted therapy. The disease is one where doctors may have differing opinions on the best treatment path to take, so don’t hesitate to ask lots of questions and seek out multiple opinions.

Second (& Third) Opinions Matter When Deciding Between Surgery or Radiation

“I think it behooves the patient to have multiple discussions or second opinions, not only by the urologist who did the biopsy and diagnosed that man, but also with other surgeons and other radiation oncologist just to get a very circumspect view of what the treatment options are,” Dr. Jim Hu, a urologic oncologist at Weill Cornell Medicine, told SurvivorNet. “Oftentimes, I think patients need to understand that our health system is based a lot on fee-for-service medicine.

“And so therefore, a lot of physicians, I think, who are very well intentioned, will believe that their treatment is best for that particular man,” Dr. Hu added.

When Should I Get Tested for Prostate Cancer?

Prostate cancer screening methods look for possible signs of the disease, but they can’t determine for sure if you have cancer. A prostate biopsy is the only way to confirm if the patient has prostate cancer.

Screening generally involves a PSA (prostate-specific antigen) test and a digital rectal exam to feel the prostate gland. The prostate-specific antigen is a protein secreted by the prostate gland, large amounts of which can indicate prostate cancer.

It’s slightly uncomfortable but painless, and takes less than 30 seconds,” Dr. Posadas said of these methods. “The amount of information that is gained from that is tremendous, and it can be a life-and-death type decision that is made.”

Though the PSA test is not always accurate and an elevated PSA test does not always mean you have prostate cancer, our experts maintain that these tests are helpful. Make sure to discuss your options with your doctors and decide what screening should look like for you.

Surgery Isn’t Always the First Option; Some Choose ‘Active Surveillance’

It’s common for prostate cancer to grow very slowly. Some men, especially those who are older and those who have a low risk of the cancer spreading, may not need aggressive treatment, making active surveillance a viable option.

WATCH: People With Low-Risk Prostate Cancer Can Rely on Monitoring the Disease

Active surveillance means the doctor watches the cancer carefully for changes, with a PSA blood test every six months and a digital rectal exam about once a year. You may also get prostate biopsies and imaging tests every one to three years.

SurvivorNet experts stress active surveillance is not “watchful waiting.” Active surveillance is a treatment, and as the name implies, it is active. This path requires coordination between the patient and their healthcare team.

“[It’s] not just kind of check in once a year—hey, how are you doing—but actively have a physician check a PSA and do a rectal examination,” Dr. Edwin Posadas, director of the Translational Oncology Program at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, told SurvivorNet.

“We can actually see some of the metabolic information within the cells through our next-generation imaging and find high-risk areas that are or are not changing in a patient to let us know, yeah, that cancer’s still sleeping. Let’s not bother– let’s not put that young man through the risk of losing his sexual quality of life or his urinary quality of life,” Dr. Posadas added.

Half of men who choose this approach will avoid unnecessary treatment and potential side effects.

But the other half of men do end up having treatment, whether as a personal decision to remove the cancer or to treat the disease as it progresses. Your doctor will determine if this is necessary based on the results of your ongoing tests.

Prostate Cancer Screening Guidelines & The Importance of Early Detection

It’s unclear if the benefits of prostate cancer screening outweigh the risks for most men. Nevertheless, screening can be life-saving, and it’s important to discuss the pros and cons of screening and your risk factors for the disease with your doctor.

The American Cancer Society (ACS) recommends “men have a chance to make an informed decision with their health care provider about whether to be screened for prostate cancer” after “getting information about the uncertainties, risks, and potential benefits of prostate cancer screening.”

The ACS says the discussion about prostate cancer screening should take place at:

• Age 50 for men who are at average risk of prostate cancer and are expected to live at least 10 more years.
• Age 45 for men at high risk of developing prostate cancer. This includes African Americans and men who have a first-degree relative (father or brother) diagnosed with prostate cancer at an early age (younger than age 65).
• Age 40 for men at even higher risk (those with more than one first-degree relative who had prostate cancer at an early age).

Questions for Your Doctor

If you have experienced symptoms associated with prostate cancer or have a screening coming up, here are some questions you may ask your doctor:

• If I have elevated PSA levels, what could be causing that besides cancer?
• How long will it take to learn if my PSA levels warrant further testing?
• What are the treatment options that are best suited for me based on my risk level?
• What financial resources exist to help me with the costs associated with treatment?
• How long will my potential treatment prevent me from working or continuing normal activities?

When Is It Okay to Share Your Diagnosis?

Some people battling a disease or cancer are open to sharing their experiences as much as they can, while others prefer to keep it to themselves or close loved ones. SurvivorNet experts say both approaches and everything in between, are valid.

“Patients who have just been diagnosed with cancer sometimes wonder how they are going to handle the diagnosis of the cancer in social situations,” psychiatrist Dr. Lori Plutchik explains.

Asking questions like “How much information should they share and with whom should they share the information?” are things Plutchik says patients take into consideration. She adds, “There is no one right way to handle this diagnosis. People should do what feels right to them.”

WATCH: Sharing a Diagnosis

A cancer journey can last months to years, which means cancer warriors may be experiencing a lot of uncertainty until they fully understand where their health stands. This uncertainty can influence when a cancer patient is ready to share their diagnosis, Dr. Plutchik further explained.

Dr. Plutchik stresses that those close to a person going through cancer should be respectful of their wishes when it comes to disclosing their diagnosis and seeking support.

Contributing: SurvivorNet Staff

Learn more about SurvivorNet's rigorous medical review process.

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