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Grey’s Anatomy fans were hit with a real shock when James Pickens Jr. revealed that he has been fighting prostate cancer behind the scenes. The actor told Black Health Matters,
“We caught it really early, and so they thought that would be the best route to take...”
Now, this gave everyone a breath of relief, but what exactly happened, and how is he doing now?
Pickens opened up about the tests, the surgery, and the family history that made him take screening seriously long before symptoms ever showed up.
How James Pickens Jr. realized something was wrong and why early screening mattered
If you’ve watched Grey’s Anatomy for years, you know how Dr. Webber is always the calm one who reminds everyone to get their check-ups. In real life, James Pickens Jr. is exactly like that.
He told Black Health Matters that he never skips his yearly physicals because prostate cancer has been in his family for generations.
The Grey’s Anatomy star shared,
“It’s not the kind of news anyone wants to hear, but to be honest, prostate cancer has run through my family. My father had it. He had a lot of brothers; several of them had it.”
He also shared that a 90-year-old cousin, plus that cousin’s son and brothers, have all dealt with the same disease.
Because of all this family history, he started doing PSA tests when he was 41. That routine test ended up being the thing that changed everything. During one of his check-ups in 2024, his doctor noticed some numbers that didn’t look right and sent him to a urologist.
Pickens said the MRI showed “something suspicious,” which led to a biopsy. The biopsy confirmed a tumor, but thankfully, a scan showed it hadn’t spread anywhere else. It was one of those moments where early habits literally saved his life.
Pickens said he was shocked to learn he had “a rare variant that you don’t see very often.” He explained to Black Health Matters that his medical team wanted to be extra careful since cases like his don’t usually show up this early.
They checked every detail, and he listened to their advice without hesitation. This early catch is the reason he’s now telling everyone, especially Black men and men with family history, to get screened around age 40.
His treatment, recovery, and why the Grey’s Anatomy storyline is even more devastating now
Fans were already emotional after the Grey’s Anatomy Season 22 midseason finale, when Dr. Richard Webber revealed he had cancer. What no one expected was that James Pickens Jr. would be dealing with the same thing off-screen.
It felt surreal watching the character we’ve known for 20 seasons face something the actor himself was quietly battling.
Pickens explained that after his diagnosis, he chose to have a robotic radical prostatectomy. The surgery was done by two urologists, and he only had to stay in the hospital for a day.
The Grey’s Anatomy star said,
“We caught it really early, and so they thought that would be the best route to take. I do have a rare variant that you don’t see very often. They wanted to err on the side of caution and keep an eye on it.”
He added that the doctors told him they hadn’t seen a variant detected this early before, which is why they were so careful “crossing all the T’s and dotting all the I’s.”
Once he recovered, Pickens teamed up with Black Health Matters to spread the word. He said,
“One in eight men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer in their lifetime. For Black men, the risk is even higher.”
The Grey’s Anatomy star also reminded everyone that sometimes there are no symptoms at all, which is why he calls himself “living proof that early detection works.”
James Pickens Jr.’s story feels personal for Grey’s Anatomy fans because we’ve seen Dr. Webber guide everyone through health scares for years. Now the actor himself is urging people to take screenings seriously and not wait for symptoms.
His honesty, his full quotes, and his PSA show that catching things early can change everything. His message is simple: talk to your doctor, get checked, and don’t ever ignore your health.
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