By Bryan Bjerke (as told to JD & Dan Collins)

I took great pleasure this past January in marking my 20th year of being cancer-free. Thanks to early detection and treatment, I enjoyed a good run. That run ended last month. I’ve been diagnosed with prostate cancer.


KIKN's Brian Bjerke talks about facing prostate cancer again after 20 years and the importance of early detection:


I would not have known about this cancer had it not been for my annual checkup. My PSA number spiked, and my doctor thought it would be a good idea to do a biopsy. The biopsy turned up several areas of cancer cells in my prostate.

We talked about the options that included radiation treatment and surgery. I decided I wanted to get the cancer out of my body, so I’m going to have surgery Thursday to remove my prostate, and with it, the cancer. That should be the end of it… hopefully for another 20 years or more!

The point of my sharing this with you all is to encourage men over the age of 50 to begin getting tested regularly. Visit with your doctor about what needs to be done. He or she should give you some good advice.

If you have a man in your life who has reached that point, talk with him about it and encourage him to take action. When it comes to cancer it is always better to know. And that knowledge starts by talking about it with your family and friends and then doing something about it.

Until we find a cure for this awful disease, we have to keep fighting it with the best tools we have – awareness and action. So please talk about it. It may be the most healthy conversation you’ll have today.

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