“Grey’s Anatomy” actor James Pickens Jr. saves lives on screen, but says early detection saved his.
The actor, who has portrayed Dr. Richard Webber on the ABC hit for more than 20 years, appeared in an Instagram video on Friday, in which he disclosed that he is “living proof” that early detection for prostate cancer “works.”
In a conversation with Black Health Matters, Pickens, 71, said he’s always prioritized his yearly physical and noted that prostate cancer runs in his family.
In 2024, he said, his primary physician recommended that he see a urologist after a blood test came back with elevated numbers that caused concern.
A biopsy later revealed a tumor, but a PET scan showed the cancer had not spread. He went on to have a robotic procedure to remove part of his prostate.
“It was rare enough that they wanted to make sure that they were crossing all the T’s and dotting all their I’s. But they hadn’t seen one that was detected as early as mine,” he told the organization.
The real-life news mirrored Pickens’ character’s storyline on “Grey’s,” which aired its midseason finale on Thursday.
In it, his character disclosed that he’d been diagnosed with cancer. No further details were provided on screen. The show returns for the second half of its season in January.
Prostate cancer affects 1 in 8 men, according to the American Cancer Society. The risk is even higher in Black men, as Pickens pointed out in his video, adding “early detection is key.”
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