How Did Actor Ben Stiller, 57, Get His Mojo Back? Remarkably Fast Recovery of Function After Prostate Cancer

For award-winning actor, Ben Stiller, he was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2014. Afterward, he underwent treatment which included surgery.

Surgery is an option for men with any risk group of prostate cancer that hasn’t spread outside of the prostate gland. The surgery procedure is called a radical prostatectomy. The surgeon removes the entire prostate, along with some tissue around it, including the seminal vesicles that release fluid into the semen. Your doctor can perform this through a traditional open procedure with one large incision, or through several small incisions, called laparoscopic surgery.

Of course, like many treatment options, surgery has side effects including erectile dysfunction and urinary incontinence. However, these side effects can concern men diagnosed with the disease.

Stiller spoke on “The Howard Stern Show” about his diagnosis and said he had “no issues with sexual function or urination following the surgery.”

Stiller then went on to add, that he experienced his first erection just a day after surgery.

“When the first erection happened post-surgery, we all celebrated,” Still said.

Stiller’s journey to a diagnosis began with a prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test at age 46. The PSA test measures the prostate-specific antigen in the blood alongside a digital rectal exam (DRE) to screen for prostate cancer.

WATCH: The PSA Test is helpful.

Dr. James Brooks, Chief Urologic Oncology Stanford Medicine, says current guidelines recommend prostate cancer screening begin at “age 55 and continue screening through age 70.”

However, men who are at higher risk of prostate cancer such as having close family members diagnosed with the disease, should consider screening earlier.

“At least, age 40, but probably even by age 35, they should have an initial PSA,” Dr. David Wise, a Medical Oncologist at NYU Perlmutter Cancer Center, tells SurvivorNet.

Dr. Wise adds that the PSA test at a younger age, is more accurate because the prostate has not increased in size which can cause the test to be “more difficult to interpret.”

WATCH: More on when to screen for prostate cancer.

Stiller is thankful he screened for prostate cancer at an earlier age because he says he “would not have known.” The actor is sharing his experience with prostate cancer to help encourage other men to get screened.

A Healthy Sex Life After Prostate Cancer

It’s not unusual for men to experience sexual side effects after surgery or radiation for prostate cancer. Some men struggle to get an erection. However, there are solutions to regain sexual activity according to Dr. James Brooks, the Chief of Urologic Oncology at Stanford Medicine.

“There are treatments that we can use, including oral agents. Viagra and Cialis and Levitra have been game-changers in this situation. They don’t work for all patients,” Dr. Brooks explained.

“There are other alternatives that a urologist can work with them to help them get back to being– getting erections and getting back to being sexually active,” Dr. Brooks continued.

Couples who are journeying to recovery after treatment are encouraged to seek counseling from a sex therapist.

There are several different medications on the market that work for prostate cancer survivors. Devices including the Vacuum Erectile Device (VED) and a prosthesis are also options.

WATCH: Coping with side effects after prostate cancer surgery.

Other side effects from prostate cancer surgery may include urinary incontinence. Dr. Stephen Freeland is a urologist at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. He says, your care team will work with you to aid with any leakage issues.

“We’re going to work with you on some exercises to try and improve that, and the vast majority of people get to a point where they don’t really need pads or diapers or anything for leakage, but a sizable percentage of patients do,” Dr. Freeland said.

How Long Does It Take to Regain Sexual Function

It can take several months for most men to regain sexual function after surgery.

“When a patient has surgery, nobody can get an erection for about six months afterward. It’s rare,” Dr. Patrick Swift tells SurvivorNet.

Dr. Swift is a radiation oncologist at Stanford and points to differences in side effects for surgery and radiation.

WATCH: Preserving sexual function after surgery depends on several factors.

“If you’re using radiation alone, the risk of you losing sexual function quickly is very, very low. And in fact, with external radiation therapy alone, at two years, about 80% of patients are still getting good erections, but they make less of an ejaculate,” Dr. Swift explains.

Meanwhile, if you undergo surgery, your sexual function is more dependent on your surgeon’s ability to spare the neurovascular bundles which are small collections of nerve and blood vessels.

“If both neurovascular bundles are injured at the time of surgery, the chance of getting back sexual function without some kind of prosthetic device is very, very low,” Dr. Swift said.

Hormone therapy can also affect your sexual interest which may inhibit your testosterone level.

Understanding Prostate Cancer

Prostate cancer begins in the walnut-shaped prostate gland, which is located between the rectum and bladder and produces the fluid that nourishes sperm. Routine screening can help detect this cancer. Prostate cancer can behave differently from one man to another.

After screening, a risk assessment helps doctors determine how to move forward with possible treatment. Men may be considered “low-risk” which means the cancer can be slow-growing and treatment might not be necessary. On the other end of the spectrum, men at higher risk could have cancer that grows faster or have more aggressive cancer requiring treatment.

Some warning signs of prostate cancer are:

• Blood in your urine
• Trouble getting an erection
• Pain or burning when you urinate
• Pain in your back, hips, thighs, or other bones
• Unexplained weight loss
• Fatigue

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?

Learn more about SurvivorNet's rigorous medical review process.

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