It was a great honor to receive the Distinguished Service in Journalism Award from the Congressional Families Cancer Prevention Program this past week. It was such a wonderful moment as I was on the podium with my father, who I adore, as we accepted the award together for work we so strongly believe in. My father is my best friend, and we are dedicated to continue to get both men and women involved in prostate cancer awareness.
Steve Andrews, Paula Zahn and Erin Andrews at the 19th annual Congressional Families Action for Cancer Awareness Awards luncheon.
It is so important to both of us that others stop being shy about talking about prostate cancer awareness. When my father was first diagnosed, we didn’t know much about prostate cancer, and it was through his experience that we have learned so much. Early detection saved his life. Men need to get regular medical check-ups, know their family medical history, maintain a healthy weight and be vigilant about their PSA (Prostate-specific antigen) blood test.
Women need to tell their husbands, fathers, brothers, and boyfriends, all the men in their lives, to go to the doctor and get checked. We want people to be able to talk as freely about prostate cancer as they do about breast cancer.
Many men don’t think that they will ever get prostate cancer. However, 1 in 6 men will be diagnosed in their lifetime. Recently, I had a friend who went and talked to her father about getting checked for prostate cancer. He made a doctor’s appointment and found out that he had prostate cancer. His daughter’s reminder saved his life.
As my father says, “There’s no waiting around. Be proactive. Be vigilant about your health.”
Editor’s Note: Erin Andrews is an award-winning sports broadcast journalist for ESPN. Watch an interview with Erin Andrews and her father Steve Andrews at this year’s Congressional Families Action for Cancer Awareness Awards luncheon below.
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