Miami Heat Icon Alonzo Mourning Shares His Battle with Prostate Cancer

When seven-time All-Star NBA Champion and Miami Heat icon Alonzo Mourning was diagnosed with prostate cancer, he knew he was facing one of his toughest opponents yet. 

“I was shocked. Number one, I was like, how in the world could I have cancer? And I feel so great,” says Mourning.

Mourning met with Sanoj Punnen, M.D., a urologist at the world-renowned Desai Sethi Urology Institute, part of the University of Miami Health System.

“Prostate cancer is the most common cancer that guys in the United States get. In the past, we would often find these cancers very late because they didn’t have symptoms until they were more advanced and not curative. But now because of screening, we find them earlier,” Dr. Punnen says.

Because Mourning had his PSA test every year, his cancer was caught early.

“I had a chance to experience the care at Desai Sethi Urology Institute. They put me on the right path in helping me understand my options,” says Mourning.

It was here with the Miami Heat that NBA superstar Alonzo Mourning became a world champion. Now, as a prostate cancer survivor, he’s championing the movement for all men to get screened.

“I have the power now to share my story. I hope that all men should take this approach and get a regular checkup,” Mourning says.

“I think being proactive about the rise in PSA that he had and getting right on it was really critical to finding out early,” says Dr. Punnen.

A fierce competitor on the court, Mourning says when it comes to your health, men should not just “tough it out”.

“Over the years, men have been taught to just tough it up, tough it out. Be a man, suck it up. You’ll be okay. Wrap it up. Take a pill. Whatever you need to do, you’ll be all right. That’s not the approach to take. It’s just really not,” Mourning says.

Mourning had surgery to remove the cancer and is now passing along this life-saving message.

“I speak to all the men that’s out there. Do what you have to do to take care of your health,” says Mourning.

Video transcript compiled by Janna Ross for ‘Focusing on You: Innovations in Modern Medicine,’ a series of health care-related stories airing regularly on WPLG Local 10.  For more stories like this one, visit UHealth’s YouTube channel.

Tags: Alonzo Mourning, Desai Sethi Urology Institute, Dr. Sanoj Punnen, focusing on you, prostate cancer, PSA