Grey's Anatomy Actor Has Same Cancer as His Character

Viewers of Grey's Anatomy learned this week that longtime character Dr. Richard Webber has prostate cancer. It's a plot twist with a purpose: It turns out that actor James Pickens Jr., who portrays Webber, has the same diagnosis, and he's using the news to raise awareness, reports People. The 71-year-old put out an Instagram video and spoke with Black Health Matters about the news, and he urged men, particularly Black men, to be proactive about the risk.

• "It's not the kind of news anyone wants to hear, but to be honest, prostate cancer has run through my family," he tells BHM. "My father had it. He had a lot of brothers, (and) several of them had it. I would have been surprised if I hadn't gotten it."
  

• Because of his family history, Pickens said he began screening for the disease at age 41. During a routine physical in January, elevated PSA levels led to further testing, which revealed a tumor. "We caught it really early," says Pickens, who opted for a robotic procedure to have the tumor removed, per USA Today.
• Pickens says his prognosis is now positive. "One in eight men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer in their lifetime," he said in his video. "For Black men, the risk is even higher. ... Today, I am living proof that early detection works."