Former NIH Director Discloses Prostate Cancer Diagnosis

Francis S. Collins, the ex-director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), disclosed his prostate cancer diagnosis and elaborated on his choice to share it publicly in an essay featured in The Washington Post on Friday. Collins noted that he became aware of his rising prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels, a potential indicator of prostate cancer, particularly prevalent among men over 65 years old.

However, an MRI scan conducted a month ago unveiled the presence of an enlarging tumor and escalating PSA levels. “In the essay, Collins noted, ‘Recent biopsies conducted on the tumor revealed a shift towards a significantly more aggressive form of cancer.’ He added, ‘Upon learning that the diagnosis had escalated to a 9 on a cancer grading scale that typically only reaches a maximum of 10, I realized that the situation had fundamentally shifted.”

Collins served as the director of the NIH from 2009 to 2021. He currently leads the White House initiative aimed at “eliminating hepatitis C” in the United States. Regarding his condition, Collins stated that a PET scan indicated,

“There was no observable indication of cancer beyond the primary tumor.” He indicated that he would undergo a radical prostatectomy to extract his entire prostate gland later this month. “In his statement, he conveyed, ‘While there are no guarantees, my physicians are optimistic about the likelihood of a successful outcome from the surgery.’ Furthermore, Collins underscored,”

‘I advocate for all men to have equal access to the opportunities I’ve had. Prostate cancer remains the second leading cause of death among men,’ he emphasized. ‘I aim for the objectives set forth by the Cancer Moonshot initiative—to revolutionize cancer treatment. Timely detection is crucial, and when coupled with proactive monitoring, it can pinpoint high-risk cancers like mine while sparing others unnecessary intervention.'”

The Cancer Moonshot initiative was initiated during former President Obama’s second term as part of the 21st Century Cures Act passed in 2016. It aims to reduce the mortality rate from cancer and improve the quality of life for individuals affected by the disease. President Biden has continued to support these efforts.

The physician-geneticist highlighted a high survival rate for prostate cancer—97 percent, according to the American Cancer Society—but noted that it decreases to 34 percent if the cancer metastasizes to distant parts of the body.

In his essay, Collins addressed disparities in access to treatments and screenings, particularly affecting Black men who have a higher likelihood of being diagnosed with prostate cancer.

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