SPEAKING OUT

Sports Star Reveals His ‘Aggressive’ Cancer Diagnosis

Shaka Hislop wants to “speak to [his] community” about health education.

Former Premier League star Shaka Hislop revealed he has an “aggressive” form of prostate cancer. Hislop, 56, who played for the English soccer clubs Newcastle, West Ham, and Portsmouth before going into broadcasting, opened up about his battle with cancer in a heartbreaking Instagram video. He said that during an annual physical he insisted on getting a PSA test, and doctors found that his PSA was elevated. “An MRI and biopsy quickly determined that I had a fairly aggressive prostate cancer,” Hislop, the starting goalkeeper for Trinidad and Tobago at their first FIFA World Cup in 2006, said. Six months later after he got a prostatectomy, doctors found “that [his] prostate cancer had spread to [his] pelvic bone.” The former player is now advocating for “men over the age of 50 [to] get their PSA checked regularly.” Hislop is using his platform to raise awareness about the disease. “Allow me to speak to my community, my people,” he said, explaining that Caribbean men experience the “highest rate of prostate cancer mortality.” The ESPN soccer analyst said he has completed nearly eight weeks of radiation treatment. “The journey continues,” he added.