DALLAS — The American Cancer Society estimates almost 300,000 U.S. men are diagnosed with prostate cancer every year. And almost 35,000 die from the disease.
Longtime Dallas radio host Big Al Mack wants to lower that number.
"My doctor... which is hard for me to say... he said, 'You have prostate cancer.'"
That's how Mack announced his own diagnosis to the 106.1 KISS-FM radio audience earlier this year. No one forced him to share this news with the world, but Mack says there was never a question about the decision.
“We’re a very honest show. And if we’re going through stuff, we pretty much put it out there," Mack said. "I wanted to make this more about other guys getting checked."
Despite Mack's own father battling prostate cancer in his 60s, for years he didn't take his own health seriously. But the sudden death of his longtime radio partner Kidd Kraddick, 10 years ago at age 53, served as a wakeup call. It was time to get regular checkups.
“I didn’t do it for years," Mack said. "But when Kidd passed away, and then within a year my dad passed away, hey, maybe this whole going to the doctor thing isn’t such a bad idea.”
Mack is fortunate doctors caught his cancer early.
The American Cancer Society says early detection is key to beating the disease. The death rate from prostate cancer was nearly cut in half between 1993 and 2013, likely because of early detection and better treatment.
Mack hopes sharing his story with his morning show audience helps raise awareness that leads other men to getting checked.
“Men have a problem going to the doctor. And especially Black men. We have an even bigger hurdle," he said. "But we gotta go and check it out. You owe that to yourself, to your family, your mom and dad and kids, everybody, your coworkers. I want to be around here as long as I can.”
Mack says he owes it to listeners as well - that he can't just share the good news, and not the bad. He's remained upbeat on-air about his prognosis and thinks there may even be some divine intervention in his role on the morning show.
"God can make a blessing out of anything," Mack said. "There’s gonna be a blessing that comes out of this. That’s the attitude I gotta have, you know. We’re gonna get through it.”