Former ESPN star Adrian Wojnarowski has revealed he was diagnosed with early-stage prostate cancer during an interview with Sports Illustrated. In February, blood tests indicated an elevated prostate-specific antigen (PSA) level, leading to a biopsy that confirmed the diagnosis. Prostate cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer among American men, following skin cancers.
About 1 in 8 men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer during their lifetime. The disease is often curable if detected early, making regular screenings important.
Wojnarowski said, “When you hear cancer, you think about it going through your body like Pac-Man. Prostate cancer, it generally stays confined to your prostate and is typically slow growing.”
In September, Wojnarowski left ESPN to become the first general manager for St. Bonaventure basketball. He clarified that his cancer diagnosis did not prompt his departure but offered a new perspective on his career. Wojnarowski said, “I didn’t want to spend one more day of my life waiting on someone’s MRI or hitting an agent at 1 a.m. about an ankle sprain.”
Prostate cancer is the second-leading cause of cancer death in men in the United States, following lung cancer. Approximately 1 in 44 men will die from this disease.
Attending the memorial for Chris Mortensen, a former ESPN NFL insider who died from throat cancer, was a pivotal moment for Wojnarowski. He realized that in the end, it’s family and close friends that matter most, not breaking stories.
Wojnarowski stated, “It made me remember that the job isn’t everything. In the end, it’s just going to be your family and close friends. And it’s also, like, nobody gives a s—. Nobody remembers [breaking stories] in the end. It’s just vapor.”
The rate of new prostate cancer cases is about 116.5 per 100,000 men annually, while the death rate stands at 19.0 per 100,000 men, indicating its serious impact.