Chicago Newsman Hosea Sanders, 65, Reveals Return Of Prostate Cancer
- Beloved and legendary Chicago news anchor Hosea Sanders, 65, says his prostate cancer has returned.
- It’s his second bout with the disease, after being initially diagnosed in 2017. He underwent surgery to remove his prostate followed by a second surgery on other intestines.
- Prostate cancer is a cancer in a man’s small, walnut-sized prostate gland that produces seminal fluid.
- Treatment options vary, but oncologists may prescribe anti-androgen drugs to try and stop or slow the growth of prostate cancer cells.
- September is Prostate Cancer Awareness Month. About one in seven American men will be diagnosed with the disease in their lifetime.
The 17-time Emmy-winning Sanders posted what he called a "quick medical update" on Facebook. "A few weeks ago I learned the prostate cancer has returned, he said. “A routine check discovered new cells in my abdominal wall. Cancer has now also invaded my bones, including my rib cage and spine."
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Sanders says he’s lucky that he has a team of doctors behind him looking at various treatment options. "I've been scoped and scanned, and I'm scheduled for even more tests before we can develop and intensive treatment plan. No radiation anticipated right now. They did not completely wipe it out," he wrote with a smile emoji."The medical team is back in formation and we've added a few new members," Sanders posted. "All are optimistic about possible pharmaceutical options. So it's back to Northwestern again… a lot."
Sanders is being treated at The Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center at Northwestern University, named after a prominent real estate and investment guru who was diagnosed with advanced stage colon cancer in 1987 and died in 1990.
In 1987, the center was awarded the National Cancer Institute's highly competitive “comprehensive” designation for its dedication to the highest standards of cancer research, patient care, education and community outreach.
Sander's Prostate Cancer Fight
September is Prostate Cancer Awareness Month and about one in seven American men will be diagnosed in their lifetime.
Hosea Sanders was first diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2017, and underwent surgery to remove his prostate followed by a second surgery and treatment on his intestines.
At the time, .Sanders told his viewers on ABC 7 WLS-TV in Chicago, that his cancer was “advanced and aggressive.”
“There were some complications, but I’m glad to be back here," Sanders told viewers.
Now in 2022, Sanders says the cancer is back, requiring a third round of treatment.
"I feel fine. Just tired. Actually I'm exhausted," he revealed on Facebook. "While some people may say "Three strikes and you're out, I choose to believe the third time's the charm."
Treating Late-Stage Prostate Cancer
Prostate cancer is a cancer in a man’s small walnut-sized prostate gland that produces seminal fluid.
Treatment of late-stage prostate cancer, also called metastatic or stage 4 prostate cancer, varies depending on the patient's current health status and how aggressive the cancer is at diagnosis.
But new treatment advancements are making more options available and giving patients hope.
Dr. Jeff Tosoian, a urologic oncologist at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, previously told SurvivorNet that there are two primary situations in which a person may be diagnosed with late-stage prostate cancer.
First, there are those who have been treated for local prostate cancer and it recurs and spreads to other areas, "or there are folks who never knew they had a localized prostate cancer and present with cancer, both in the prostate and in other places in the body."
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Hormone Therapy For Prostate Cancer
The male hormone androgen fuels the growth of prostate cancer. Hormone therapies work to deprive cancer cells of these building blocks by reducing the production of androgens.
G(GnRH) antagonists are drugs that block the pituitary gland from making hormones that stimulate testosterone production.
Relugolix is a Gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) approved by the FDA in December 2020. GnRH antagonists work by blocking the pituitary gland from releasing the hormones that fuel the production of testosterone.
Prostate cancer stops responding to hormone therapy over time, which is known as metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer. At that stage, oncologists may prescribe antiandrogen drugs to try and prevent androgen from binding to androgen receptors on prostate cancer cells to slow or stop growth.
Abiraterone (Zytiga), apalutamide (Erleada), and enzalutamide (Xtandi) are three examples of FDA-approved antiandrogen drugs that have improved the survival of men with metastatic castrate-sensitive prostate cancer when added to standard hormone therapy.
How Does Androgen Deprivation Therapy Help Shrink Prostate Cancer Tumors?
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