Former Newcastle, West Ham and Portsmouth goalkeeper Shaka Hislop has revealed he is being treated for prostate cancer, which has spread to his pelvic bone. Hislop, 56, said he first learned of the disease 18 months ago after a routine PSA blood test showed elevated levels. A biopsy confirmed an aggressive form of prostate cancer, and he underwent surgery in December last year.
Although he initially believed the procedure had solved the problem, follow-up tests six months later showed his PSA rising again, and scans revealed the cancer had spread. He has since received medication and recently completed seven and a half weeks of radiation therapy. “The journey continues,” he said in an Instagram video.
Hislop used his announcement to urge men to monitor their health and get checked regularly. He stressed that men over 50 — or over 40 for those of African descent — should request PSA tests even in countries where they’re not routinely recommended. He also noted that family history is not always predictive, as his own genetic tests showed no risk markers.
“The highest rate of prostate cancer mortality is in Caribbean men,” he said. “Please go get tested, know your PSA, track it. Prostate cancer is survivable if caught early. Testing saves lives — it saved mine.”
