Off The Record
‘Young And The Restless’ Star Eric Braeden Reveals Cancer Diagnosis In Raw New Video
Eric Braeden, star of the soap opera The Young and the Restless, hopes to encourage other men in his position by going public with his cancer diagnosis.
The 82-year-old actor recently opened up to Entertainment Tonight about his health struggles, discussing how his disease was misdiagnosed at first.
“I was misdiagnosed at first, and then I went to another [doctor] and he said, ‘You have cancer,'” he told the outlet.
“The reason that I’m going public with this is to inform people,” he continued. “As you get older, your prostate grows and it impinges the urethra. It means you have to go to the potty a lot more than you want to. That is sometimes the beginning of some trouble.”
Braeden said, “the word cancer is scary,” but it shouldn’t stop people from being proactive about their health and going in for regular exams.
“I just want men to know not to be scared of that. I want them to know to have your prostate examined, have your bladder examined, have your colon examined,” he said. “Just acquaint yourself with it and be open about it, so that way you take the fear out of people… A lot of men, me included, would not want to know about it. That’s nonsense.”
Braeden is currently in the third week of his six-week infusion process and reports feeling “pretty good” after his diagnosis.
The actor credits his experience in sports for helping him maintain a positive attitude during his health journey.
“I’m from the world of sports. I don’t give up easily. I know a good attitude helps. This is manageable,” he told the outlet.
“You learn in sports to always look forward to the next time, never give up. You train harder to be better the next time… You look at this now and I said, ‘All right, I’ll deal with it. How do I improve as quick as I can?'”
In a Facebook Live broadcast earlier this month, Braeden broke his silence about being diagnosed with cancer.
The actor claims his doctor diagnosed him with cancer after he had prostate problems when he was recovering from knee replacement surgery 13 minutes into the video.
“I hate to be this personal, but I think this may be good for some older guys who may or may not listen to this,” the veteran actor, who is presently receiving immunotherapy, stated.
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Before undergoing an UroLift, the actor was consulting doctors about his prostate, and during those visits, high-grade cancer cells were identified near his bladder.
He has indicated that he is currently undertaking a six-week immunotherapy treatment plan for high-grade cells.
The actor has stated that he will continue to workout even while undergoing therapy, but at a reduced intensity.
“I’ve learned now to listen to my body more, and not go all out,” he said at the time. “So if you’ve seen me a little under the weather, yeah, I have been, but I will lick this. This bastard ain’t going to get me, I’m going to get it. I’ll be in top form again soon.”
“So that’s where I am right now,” continued Braeden, who noted that he will continue acting on the soap despite the diagnosis. “I love acting. I entertain people. I love your support,” said Braeden as he got emotional. “So, whenever you have someone in the family who goes through this, support them. It can work out. Nowadays, there is so much advancement in cancer treatment, you can survive it.”
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