Ben Stiller opens up about battle with prostate cancer two years ago

Ben Stiller revealed in an interview he survived a secret battle with prostate cancer.

The actor was doing an interview on The Howard Stern Show Oct. 4. He revealed the diagnosis “came out of the blue for me. I had no idea.”

@RedHourBen your story inspires hope and empowers other men! Thank you for sharing the importance of getting checked. @sternshow #PCa https://t.co/CSfYpeHtiq

— Prostate Cancer Fdn (@PCFnews) October 4, 2016

There is no history of prostate cancer in his family and he had no prior symptoms. His doctor became suspicious due to a routine blood test known as Prostate-Specific Antigen test. Stiller began receiving the test when he was 46.

When his PSA levels continued to rise, his doctor grew more concerned and eventually, he went through more tests.

Stiller wrote an essay for Medium, saying that as his doctor told him about his prostate cancer, his “voice literally faded out like every movie or TV show about a guy being told he had cancer.” The 50 year old actor said it was a moment he himself was feeling and it wasn’t just a movie.

People reported Stiller did not speak about his diagnosis at first, only opting to reach out to friends and co-stars, including Robert De Niro, with whom he worked with on Meet The Fockers. De Niro was open about his own battle with cancer.

Now Stiller is healthy and wants to share his experience to aid others.