BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WIAT) -- Friday’s announcement that Auburn head football coach Hugh Freeze was diagnosed with an early form of prostate cancer is hitting close to home at the Mike Slive Foundation for Prostate Cancer Research.
The post about Freeze on social media mentions that his prostate cancer was detected early and is very treatable and curable.
Anna Slive Harwood, daughter of former SEC Commissioner Mike Slive, gave her reaction Monday morning to Freeze going public about his health.
“It is very personal to me because my father had prostate cancer,” Harwood said. “We lost him to complications of prostate cancer.”
Harwood is determined to carry forward the mission her father laid out.
“He realized very quickly when we started this foundation that his legacy might be more than college sports," Harwood said. "It might be saving people's lives.”
She said her dad advocated for early detection.
Dr. Thomas Holley is a physician whose been practicing at Urology Centers of Alabama for 17 years.
“Prostate cancer now today is most of the time caught early through PSA screening, which is a blood test,” Holley said.
He said prostate cancer is highly treatable if caught early, and there are certain risk factors. Holley said one of the risk factors is if your family has a history of prostate cancer. He also said African American men should start screening for prostate cancer between the ages of 40 to 45.
“For all other males, you should start screening at age 45 to 50, talking to your physician about prostate health, getting your yearly checks done,” Holley said.
According to the American Cancer Society, prostate cancer is the second most common cancer in the U.S. for men. In 2025, it's estimated about 313,780 new cases of prostate cancer will be diagnosed in the U.S., and there will be about 35,770 deaths from prostate cancer.
Harwood said she hopes Freeze’s decision to go public with his diagnosis will encourage more men to get their prostate cancer screening.
“I’m so proud of coach Freeze for coming out and saying this ‘Hey is what I’ve got. It doesn’t affect me. It doesn’t affect my ability to coach, but I can use this to do good,'" Harwood said.
Holley said he believes it's advantageous to start early with prostate cancer screenings to form a baseline for a patient. He also said most initial screenings only require a blood test, not a physical exam.
For more information about risk factors for prostate cancer, click here.