Veteran journalist Rajdeep Sardesai recently shared his personal battle with prostate cancer, revealing that he feels profoundly fortunate to have overcome the disease just three months after his diagnosis.
In his latest ‘Straight Bat’ vlog on YouTube, Sardesai recounted the shock and disbelief he experienced in July when his biopsy results came back positive. He described the WhatsApp message informing him of the diagnosis as a terse, matter-of-fact update that threatened to upend his life. “Cancer? Me? How? Why?” he questioned, recalling that he had only recently celebrated his 60th birthday and had no prior major medical history or symptoms suggesting a health crisis.
What began as a routine medical check-up, involving a series of tests that led to a fusion biopsy to investigate a suspected malignant tumor, quickly turned into a summer of mounting anxiety, overshadowing a planned holiday to watch an exciting cricket series.
Sardesai emphasized that while his cancer has been successfully removed, his sense of gratitude stems from its early detection. He noted that prostate cancer is increasingly common among men in India, particularly older individuals, and that early treatment significantly improves survival rates. Despite a higher Gleason score (a grading system for prostate cancer), he was fortunate that the cancer was caught relatively early, a fact he attributes his ‘incredible luck’ to.
He underwent successful robotic surgery in mid-August to have the prostate removed. “I feel even luckier,” Sardesai added, sharing that recent scans confirmed the disease had not spread and the cancerous tumor was effectively removed.