Bruce Arians Urges Prostate Cancer Screenings, Cites Personal Survival Story
The Super Bowl-winning coach promotes early detection through a PSA blood test as part of the NFL's Crucial Catch initiative.
Super Bowl-winning coach Bruce Arians is lending his voice to the fight against prostate cancer, sharing his personal experience with the disease to encourage men to undergo regular screenings. Arians has partnered with Novartis for its "Relax, It’s a Blood Test" campaign, coinciding with the NFL's annual "Crucial Catch" initiative focused on cancer detection, risk reduction, and awareness.
Arians was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2007, a discovery he attributes to a routine Prostate-Specific Antigen (PSA) blood test. He emphasized that early detection was key to his successful treatment and removal of the cancer. "One in eight men in the United States are going to have prostate cancer, and early detection is the key. It’s a simple finger-free blood test," Arians stated in a recent interview. He urged men to get their PSA levels checked annually by a doctor, starting from age 40, and to be aware of their individual risk factors.
Recounting his diagnosis at age 51, Arians described the initial devastation but highlighted the positive outcome due to early detection. He credited his doctors with preserving nerves during the procedure and expressed gratitude for the successful removal of the cancer. "For me, it was very easy. Just went to work the next 10 days with a catheter and got ready for the draft," he said, underscoring his swift return to his coaching duties.
The campaign utilizes football-related wordplay, with Arians encouraging athletes to "relax their tight ends," a nod to the PSA blood test being a less invasive initial step compared to a rectal exam. Former NFL tight ends Rob Gronkowski and Tony Gonzalez have also participated in the initiative.
Arians stressed the life-saving potential of timely screenings, noting that the five-year relative survival rate for prostate cancer, when detected early, exceeds 99%. "I think it’s so easy to try and make sure that this does not happen to you. A simple thing: start your scorecard. Get your PSA level checked every single year and stay in tune with your doctor," Arians advised. "It will save your life."