‘Grey’s Anatomy’ Actor Shares Prostate Cancer Journey

Actor James Pickens Jr., who stars as Dr. Richard Webber in the long-running medical TV drama Grey’s Anatomy, said that being proactive about his health early on by “getting my annual physical” helped him overcome prostate cancer after his diagnosis in 2024.

“I started my PSA testing when I was 41; I’m 73 now,” he recently told Black Health Matters, referring to the test for a protein called prostate-specific antigen. “My urologist said, ‘Because you were so diligent in that piece of your health, it was to your advantage. We were able to catch it so early because you were being tested.’ ”

Pickens Jr. has portrayed Dr. Webber since 2005. During the show’s recent midseason finale, it was revealed that Webber has cancer, mirroring the real-life situation for Pickens.

In 2024, Pickens visited the doctor for his annual physical, which included a PSA test. This test measures the amount of prostate-specific antigen in the blood; high levels can indicate prostate cancer, one of the most common types of cancer. 

“I went back in January, and when my PSA numbers came back, my primary said, ‘Yeah, you know what? It’s ticked up some more. I want to send you back to the urologist,’ ” Pickens said.

An MRI found “something suspicious,” so Pickens got a biopsy that revealed cancer. Further testing found that the cancer had not spread.

Pickens plays Dr. Richard Webber on "Grey's Anatomy."

Richard Cartwright/ABC/Getty Images

When Pickens received his diagnosis, he wasn’t shocked because “prostate cancer has run through my family,” he said.

“My father had it. He had a lot of brothers; several of them had it. I would have been surprised if I hadn’t gotten it,” he said.

Pickens underwent a radical prostatectomy — surgical removal of the entire prostate.

He added: “I do have a rare variant that you don’t see very often. They wanted to err on the side of caution and keep an eye on it. It was rare enough that they wanted to make sure that they were crossing all the T’s and dotting all their I’s. But they hadn’t seen one that was detected as early as mine.”

Prostate cancer is the second-most common cancer among men in the U.S., just behind skin cancer, and affects 1 in 8 men. 

The American Cancer Society recommends PSA tests starting at age 50 for men who are at average risk for prostate cancer and are expected to live at least 10 more years.  

Men who are 45 and African American, and those who have a first-degree family member who had prostate cancer before turning 65, should also get tested.

AARP offers information about prostate cancer symptoms and specific guidance on getting a PSA test.