How was James Pickens Jr.'s prostate cancer discovered? Actor shares health update

James Pickens Jr., known for portraying Dr. Richard Webber on Grey’s Anatomy, has disclosed that he was recently diagnosed with prostate cancer. The actor spoke about his condition and the circumstances that led to its discovery during an interview with Black Health Matters.

Pickens Jr. explained that prostate cancer has long been present in his family, noting that the diagnosis was not entirely unexpected.

“It’s not the kind of news anyone wants to hear, but to be honest, prostate cancer has run through my family. My father had it. He had a lot of brothers; several of them had it,” he said. “I would have been surprised if I hadn’t gotten it.”

Longtime "Grey's Anatomy" star James Pickens Jr. says he's been diagnosed with prostate cancer:



“It’s not the kind of news anyone wants to hear, but to be honest, prostate cancer has run through my family. My father had it. He had a lot of brothers; several of them had it. I… pic.twitter.com/tnRHjnRgVz

— Variety (@Variety) November 15, 2025

James Pickens Jr.’s prostate cancer was detected through routine screening

According to Pickens Jr., the cancer was identified after a sequence of routine medical checks. He underwent a physical exam during which his PSA levels were monitored.

When the numbers rose, his primary care physician took action.

“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,’” he recalled.

Following further evaluation, including an MRI ordered by the urologist, a suspicious area was detected. Pickens Jr. shared his doctor’s assessment, saying,

“The urologist looked at him and said, ‘Yeah, there’s something here. Let’s do an MRI,’ which we did, and it revealed, as he called it, ‘something suspicious.’”

Based on the early detection and additional findings, Pickens Jr. chose to undergo a radical prostatectomy. He noted that doctors considered the procedure the most appropriate option.

“We caught it really early, and so they thought that would be the best route to take. 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,” he explained.

Pickens Jr. has appeared in all 22 seasons of Grey’s Anatomy, shaping Dr. Webber’s journey over more than two decades.

The real-life development echoed the storyline of Pickens’ character on Grey’s Anatomy, which released its midseason finale on Thursday.