Joe Torre Talks Prostate Cancer with ABC News

Jason Kempin/FilmMagic via Getty Images(NEW YORK) — Joe Torre is speaking up about cancer.

The longtime manager and Major League Baseball’s current chief officer has partnered with Genomic Health to raise awareness for prostate cancer. Speaking exclusively with ABC News, Torre talked about the choices men have if they get diagnosed with the disease, and how he was treated when he was diagnosed in 1999 while managing the Yankees.

“I chose surgery because I had an aggressive form of prostate cancer and if I was diagnosed today, I would still choose the surgery,” he said.

Torre said men don’t have to follow his lead to get immediate surgery, but can take the step of “active surveillance” to closely monitor signs of progression in the disease.

And his number one piece of advice for those with a family history of prostate cancer…

“You’ve got to make sure you get checked,” he told ABC News. “I mean there’s no question. Check, get information, get educated and then you can make a decision along with your doctor on what course of action you should take.”

Torre added that working with his doctor to better understand his cancer and his support system is what helped him through his dark time. He said that advocacy groups offer men another outlet for support.

Families can learn more about genomic testing and steps they can take if a loved one is diagnosed with prostate cancer at www.MyProstateCancerTreatement.org.

Copyright © 2016, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.

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