OLD ORCHARD BEACH, Maine — NEWS CENTER Maine's Lee Goldberg is a television veteran, having worked in the industry since 1991. He's a husband and father of eight children, ranging from two to 25 years old. As of two and a half years ago, he's also a cancer survivor.
"I was diagnosed with prostate cancer back in March of 2021," Lee said. "It came literally out of nowhere. I had zero symptoms of any kind. I have no family history of prostate cancer.”
“To receive the news that your partner has cancer—your husband has cancer— it was a lot. It was definitely a lot to handle in that moment," Lee's wife, Karen, added.
Lee said it all began when he was at an annual doctor's appointment where routine blood work showed higher-than-normal PSA (or Prostate Specific Antigen) levels. That can mean anything from a benign issue to prostate cancer. He and his urologist continued to test, and when levels didn't go down, the doctor did a biopsy. When it revealed cancer, Lee underwent treatment.
"This happened for a reason. I am one of those believers in things happening for a reason," Lee said.
Lee has made his "reason" a mission to spread awareness about how PSA testing potentially saved his life. According to the American Cancer Society, about one in eight men are diagnosed with prostate cancer in their lifetime. Early detection, though, is crucial: about one in 41 men will die of prostate cancer.
Lee began posting on social media in 2021, sharing his story with tens of thousands of followers across all platforms. He and Karen said his message ended up reaching people all over not just our state but the continent.
"I was hearing from people from Alaska, obviously a ton of people from Maine, people from Canada," Lee said. "People who just saw the message, and it got spread and shared with them."
"I have a friend that works at a local doctor’s office. She contacted me the next day and said their phone literally did not stop ringing and that they have never had anywhere near that many calls— all for PSA tests," Karen said.
Lee said one couple in particular who reached out to him made him realize how the effort could— literally—be life-changing. He said a man in Alaska saw one of his posts, scheduled a PSA test, realized he had cancer, and then underwent treatment.
"He came to Maine from Alaska this past summer with his wife who wanted to meet me and give me a hug. I can’t put into words what that meant," Lee said.
Now, Lee and Karen are on a mission with Lee's urologist, Dr. Stephen Ryan, and his wife to do even more of this work. They're launching a new nonprofit called Prostate Cancer Maine. The goal is to raise awareness about PSA and help more Mainers get screened.
"The younger you are, the more likely [you are] to benefit from a screening PSA—and the more likely you’d get a curable prostate cancer diagnosis at an early age," Ryan said.
Ryan said nowadays, having a higher PSA doesn't automatically mean undergoing a biopsy or cancer treatment. Instead, there's more of a "watch and wait" recommendation.
"That little bit of knowledge can start a conversation, and that conversation is what builds trust and has people buying into their own health and becoming advocates for themselves," Ryan said.
In case you were wondering: Lee is now cancer-free and said he's feeling pretty much back to normal.
The first fundraiser for Prostate Cancer Maine is happening on Monday, Dec. 18 at Dunstan Tap and Table in Scarborough. The fun begins at 6 p.m., and Lee, Sharon Rose, and Todd Gutner will be guest bartenders.
You can connect with Lee and his team by emailing prostatecancermaine@gmail.com.