PORTLAND, 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. He's also a cancer survivor, and he's on a mission to help spread the word about the importance of regular screenings, because early detection saves lives.
This week marks three years since Lee had surgery to remove his prostate after cancer had been detected a few months before.
"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.”
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.
"Catching it as early as we did thanks to that PSA test and due diligence has left every treatment option available to me. I consider myself blessed and lucky, and I’m looking forward to being on the other side of this," he said in 2021.
Since then, he has made it his mission to spread awareness about how PSA testing potentially saved his life.
"Sharing my story has one simple goal. Men, get your PSA tested. Women, have the men in your life get their PSA tested," he added.
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 his wife Karen said his message ended up reaching people all over not just our state but the continent.
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 launched a nonprofit called Prostate Cancer Maine in December 2023, with a goal to raise awareness about PSA and help more Mainers get screened.
"I'm not a doctor. I don't play a doctor on TV. I don't give medical advice. But I'm here to listen. I'm here to share my story, and maybe that will help you or a loved one out," he said on the three-year anniversary of his surgery.
In case you were wondering, Lee is cancer-free and said he's feeling pretty much back to normal.
You can connect with Lee and his team by visiting prostatecancermaine.org or by emailing prostatecancermaine@gmail.com.