SEATTLE — Beloved travel host Rick Steves announced Wednesday he was diagnosed with prostate cancer.
Steves, who is from Edmonds, said doctors told him that his scans showed no signs of the cancer spreading, and there is a path to recovery. He will likely have prostate surgery in late September and hopes to be cancer free by the end of October.
Prostate cancer is the most common type of cancer, and about 12.8% of men will develop prostate cancer in their lifetime, according to the National Cancer Institute.
With treatment, survival rates for prostate cancer patients are high – about 97.5% of patients are still alive five years later, the cancer institute said.
“I have great trust in my doctor and in Seattle’s Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center,” Steves said. “And I have lots more to be thankful for…including the support of friends and loved ones and a strong faith that I’m in good hands.”
A leading expert in European travel, Steves has written a series of guidebooks, founded a travel company and hosted television programs on travel. He recently released a new TV special on Iceland, highlighting its culture and natural beauty. He grew up in Edmonds and still calls it his home base when he isn’t traveling to research his next project.
Steves plans to spend the next three weeks filming two new TV shows in France before returning home for treatment.
In a Facebook post, Steves said he has a positive outlook about the diagnosis and is looking forward to the perspective that the process may bring him.
“I find myself going into this adventure almost like it’s some amazing, really important trip,” Steves said. “I feel good about my positive attitude — and I expect to take home some delightful, if intangible, souvenirs like: appreciating and seeing a vibrancy in the little things; appreciating the goodness in people and the treasure of friends and family; being wowed by modern medicine and the army of amazing, smart, and dedicated people that make it possible; appreciating what a blessing life, health, and this world to enjoy is; and — just in general — being more thankful.”