Ryne Sandberg died

That is so very sad : ((....
May he rest in peace .

Sorry to hear about his passing.

Last year, I was curious as to how many celebrities and other public individuals (athletes, actors, politicians, financiers, and others in the spotlight) over the past few decades have been in the news with a diagnosis or death from prostate cancer. After less than an hour of searching, this was the list I amassed:
> Andre Dawson
> Andrew Lloyd Webber
> Andy Grove
> Arnold Palmer
> Ben Stiller
> Bill Bixby
> Bob Casey
> Bob Dole
> Brooks Robinson
> Cal Ripken
> Carlton Fisk
> Charlton Heston
> Colin Powell
> Darwin Deason
> Davey Lopes
> David Koch
> Dennis Hopper
> Dexter Scott King
> Dusty Baker
> Francois Mitterrand
> Frank Zappa
> Gary Cooper
> Glenn Thompson
> Gregg Olson
> Harry Belafonte
> Ian McKellen
> Jerry Brown
> Jerry Orbach
> Joe Torre
> John Kerry
> Johnny Ramone
> Ken Griffey, Sr.
> Langston Hughes
> Linus Pauling
> Lloyd Austin
> Mandy Patinkin
> Michael Bennet
> Michael Milken
> Mitt Romney
> Nelson Mandela
> O.J. Simpson
> Phil Lesh
> Phil Niekro
> Ryne Sandberg
> Rob Gardenhire
> Robert DeNiro
> Rod Stewart
> Roger Moore
> Ron Wyden
> Rudy Giuliani
> Ryan O’Neal
> Shannon Sharpe
> Sidney Poitier
> Stephen Fry
> Steve Garvey
> Stokely Carmichael
> Telly Savalas
> Thom Tillis
> Timothy Leary
> Ty Cobb
> Warren Buffet

Since then, many more have been reported in the news with prostate cancer at various stages. All of us have heard of many (or most) of those in that list. Despite all the media reporting given to these celebrities and their diagnoses, most men say they never heard about prostate cancer; as a result, never get their PSA tested.

Not sure what it will take……

Johnny Ramone, Frank Zappa and Dan Fogelberg kind of bother me the most since they were all relatively young (like myself). At least we have better treatment now.

Hate this. Last I heard in 2024 was he was cancer free. Now this. So very, very sad. 🙁

Yes, much better treatments these days. Still, much can be said for early and annual screening leading to earlier detection (rather than relying on better treatments to fight advanced disease).

This is a case where it sure would be nice to know if he thought he was cured so he just stopped taking any drugs, and didn’t get PSA tests.

One would think an ADT drug and an ARSI drug could’ve kept him going for years.

I must admit, I have not heard of someone going from remission to full blown reoccurrence in 4 months, when they were on drugs. It not only returned, it spread to other organs.

This was in another AP article

“Sandberg announced in January 2024 that he had been diagnosed with metastatic prostate cancer. He had chemotherapy and radiation treatments, and then said in August 2024 that he was cancer-free.
But he posted on Instagram on Dec. 10 that his cancer had returned and spread to other organs.”

I would like to know how he was treated because this would be quite disturbing if he was on drugs, and it still happened. The possibilities it portends for all of us.

Jeff, I was thinking the same thing. It seems weird that this would progress that fast. Would be interesting to know why? Sounds like he was getting a fair amount of chemo. Do you think he was castrate resistant?

I was listening to Dr Scholz, he has many YouTubes, he is with the prostate cancer research institute. He describes a small category of men who develop cancers, mutated from their original prostate cancer, and this cancer manifests itself in other organs, and is not detected by PSA tests, etc.
I asked my friend ChatGBT to explain:
Ryne Sandberg’s case is a sobering example of how prostate cancer can evolve even after apparent remission — something many men and doctors are still learning to fully understand. A few key takeaways
1. Rare but Aggressive Subtypes Exist
Some prostate tumors can mutate into:
Castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC)
Neuroendocrine prostate cancer (NEPC)
These are often PSA-silent and spread quickly to the liver, lungs, or brain.

2. Genetic Mutations May Drive Aggression
Mutations in genes like:
TP53, BRCA1/2, PTEN, ATM, or RB1 are associated with treatment resistance and visceral spread.
In Sandberg’s case, the rapid return of cancer after remission strongly suggests one of these aggressive genomic paths.
3. PSA Alone Isn’t Always Enough
While PSA is a reliable marker in many men, some aggressive subtypes:
Produce very little PSA
Don’t respond to ADT, yet continue growing and spreading
Advanced tools like PSMA-PET scans, genomic testing (e.g., FoundationOne or Decipher), and liquid biopsies are often needed for early detection of these variants.
4. Monitoring After Treatment Is Critical
Even in remission, men—especially with high-risk or metastatic history—should:
Keep up PSA + testosterone testing
Consider genetic testing, especially with a family history or initial Gleason 8–10
Report any unusual pain, fatigue, or weight loss right away

This reminds me to live every day large and enjoy your time. I am stage 4, metastatic, BRCA 2 mutation, Gleason 4+5, ADT and radiation therapy have kept me alive since I was diagnosed exactly one year ago today. My PSA is undetectable and I lift weights 4 times a week and feel great, even on ADT. But I understand that nothing guarantees this disease will not change and do something else. As we all do, I hate this disease because how it changed my life, it also killed my brother back in 2006, he was 62.

I’m sure there is a lot to the story that we dont know about. I know he announced the cancer diagnosis in Jan 2024, but he could have known for a while before he announced to the world. We don’t know how bad his spread was when discovered. We don’t know his history of treatments. He could have turned down hormone therapy in favor of chemo. He could be one of those cases of NEPC from the beginning. All of this sort of reminds me about Biden’s story and how some things didn’t add up.