Overview
- Pickens said routine tests in 2024 led to an MRI and biopsy that confirmed a prostate tumor, with a PET scan indicating it had not spread beyond the prostate.
- He underwent a robot-assisted prostatectomy performed by two urologists and reports a smooth recovery from the operation.
- The actor described his case as a rare variant and credits decades of PSA checks for catching it at a very early stage.
- In a video with Black Health Matters, he urges men with familial risk to discuss screening from age 40 and addresses stigma surrounding men's health in the Black community.
- His public announcement coincides with a new Grey's Anatomy storyline in which his character is also diagnosed with cancer.