Scott Adams, the cartoonist behind the former newspaper staple Dilbert, has revealed that doctors have told him his chances of recovering from stage 4 prostate cancer are “essentially zero”. The 68-year-old made the announcement during a livestream of his YouTube show Real Coffee with Scott Adams on Thursday, describing a conversation with his radiologist as “all bad news”.
Adams, who was diagnosed with metastatic prostate cancer in May 2025, said the disease had already spread to his bones. In December, he disclosed that a tumour near his spine had left him paralysed from the waist down, though he retained feeling in his lower body. He said he hoped radiation treatment might restore some strength.
Despite the grim prognosis, Adams told his audience he plans to continue livestreaming “as long as it makes sense” and may write down his closing thoughts. He previously attracted attention in November when he asked President Donald Trump to help pressure his insurer, Kaiser of Northern California, to approve a newly approved cancer treatment that had been delayed. Trump responded on Truth Social with “On it!”, and Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. added that “the president wants to help”.
Adams has been a controversial figure since Dilbert was dropped by its syndicator and most newspapers in March 2023 following a racist rant on his show in which he called Black people a “hate group” and advised white people to “get the hell away” from them. He also claimed his outspoken support for Trump had cost him about 40 per cent of his income and 75 per cent of his social circle.
