Robert De Niro survived prostate cancer

Published: March 06, 2020

Acclaimed actor Rober De Niro found out he had prostate cancer in October 2003 after a regular check-up. The Raging Bull star’s prognosis looked good from the beginning, as doctors praised his efforts to keep in good health.

According to People magazine, his representative, Stan Rosenfield, stated back then: “Doctors say the condition was detected at an early stage because of regular checkups. Because of the early detection and his excellent physical condition, doctors project a full recovery.”

Though declining to comment on the then 60-year-old’s condition or course of treatment, Rosenfield did say that the actor still intended to film his new movie Hide and Seek.

He added, however: “Obviously, things will need to be postponed a little bit.”

Thankfully, Robert De Niro made a full recovery after a course of treatment and some surgery. But out of the 221,000 men diagnosed with the disease in the US every year, 29,000 are not so lucky, People magazine claims. The disease has also been said to raise the risk of committing suicide.

Though saved by doctors, the multiple Academy Award winner is not a fan of unnecessary surgery. He recently called upon his contemporaries to shun cosmetic surgery and allow the natural aging process to take place. He commended actress Meryl Streep for not going under the knife and told Britain’s The Times magazine that he would not have any procedures himself, the San Francisco Chronicle reported.

De Niro told the publication: “(Surgery) is so transparent. If you’re doing a younger part in a story, say 15, 20 years younger, the audience will accept that, and you can do it in a very real way. But to do it for yourself? I was reading something about Meryl Streep, and Meryl was describing how she doesn’t do any of that stuff, and that’s great. Getting old is a natural thing. And you’d better embrace it, ‘cos you’ve got no choice.“

Other celebrities who have suffered from prostate cancer include Andrew Lloyd Webber, Dennis Hopper, Charlton Heston and Jeff Jarvis.

Images: David Shankbone and Petr Novak, Wikimedia Commons

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Published March 06, 2020 by Anna A. in Celebrities
Tags: prostate cancer, Robert De Niro