‘Today’s Al Roker Reveals Prostate Cancer Diagnosis in Candid Report (VIDEO)

Al Roker Today Show
NBC

Today‘s Al Roker got candid with viewers on Friday, November 6, when he revealed he’s been diagnosed with prostate cancer.

“After a routine check-up in September, it turns out I have prostate cancer and it’s a good-news-bad-news kind of thing,” Roker began the story. “The good news is we caught it early; the not great news is that it’s a little aggressive, so I’m going to be taking some time off to take care of this.”

Surrounded by co-hosts Hoda Kotb, Savannah Guthrie, Carson Daly, and Craig Melvin, Roker added, “It’s a little more common than people, I think, realize. And so I just decided that I wanted to go public with this because one in nine men are going to be diagnosed with prostate cancer in their lifetime.”

Roker also said that the statistic is even greater for African-American men, who have a one in seven chance of contracting the cancer, which is more deadly in that population. “If you detect it early, this is a really treatable disease, and it’s why I wanted to take you along my journey, so we can all learn together how to educate and protect the men in our lives,” the anchor said.

Al Roke Today Show NBC

(Credit: NBC)

The news story shifted from a live reveal to a pre-taped segment in which Roker shared his story from the beginning. He opened up about the supportive role his wife and kids are playing in his cancer battle, and his plan to undergo surgery to remove his prostate.

See the full story as presented on Today, below and stay tuned for updates as Roker continues his cancer journey.

Today Show, Weekdays, 7/6c, NBC