Former Newcastle, West Ham and Portsmouth goalkeeper Shaka Hislop has revealed he is being treated for prostate cancer. The 56-year-old said the cancer was discovered around 18 months ago and has since spread to his pelvic bone.
In a video on Instagram, Hislop explained that he insisted on a PSA test during his annual physical, which showed elevated levels. Subsequent tests confirmed a fairly aggressive prostate cancer. He underwent a radical prostatectomy in December last year, but six months later his PSA levels rose again, and scans showed the cancer had spread to his pelvic bone. He has since completed medication and seven and a half weeks of radiation therapy.
Hislop, who played for Trinidad and Tobago at the 2006 World Cup, urged men to get tested, particularly those of African descent and Caribbean men, who face the highest mortality rates from prostate cancer. He noted that the UK National Screening Committee recently recommended against routine screening for most men, but stressed that testing saves lives.
“Doctors recommend that all men over the age of 50 get their PSA checked regularly,” Hislop said. “If you’re of African descent, that age drops to 40. If you’re somewhere like the UK or somewhere else where PSA tests aren’t encouraged, you have got to insist.” He added that even those without a family history of cancer should be tested.
