ORLANDO, Fla. — Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings says he will undergo surgery to remove his prostate after being diagnosed with cancer, the health development that prompted him to suspend his campaign for Florida governor.
Demings told Channel 9 Anchor Daralene Jones that routine medical testing helped doctors detect the cancer early.
“I go to the doctor on a fairly regular basis,” Demings said. “Every three months, I go to a wellness check with my doctors.”
Demings said his prostate-specific antigen, or PSA, levels remained within the normal range but had been “creeping up.” His doctors referred him to a urologist, who conducted an ultrasound, MRI and biopsy.
The biopsy confirmed prostate cancer.
Demings learned the results four days before announcing in June that he was suspending his campaign for governor. He publicly revealed the diagnosis following his final State of the County address.
“I had obviously been thinking about it all week,” Demings said. “I told my wife at that point, I said, ‘I made a decision, and my decision is to suspend the campaign.’ There was no scenario where I could go through treatment and stay on the campaign trail.”
After consulting with doctors and considering his treatment options, Demings decided to have his prostate removed.
“I chose not to kick the can down the road and deal with it in six months,” he said.
Demings said more than 400 men from across the country have contacted him since he disclosed his diagnosis. Many shared their own experiences with prostate cancer, treatment and recovery.
“That gave me comfort in knowing that I will survive,” Demings said. “Just don’t be fearful about the next steps.”
One conversation particularly affected him. Demings said a younger man told him his prostate cancer had advanced to stage 4 after he lost his job and health insurance and went several years without treatment.
Demings said he connected the man with someone who may be able to help him.
“He made a decision that he was just going to live with it,” Demings said. “I didn’t want to be that guy.”
Demings said he received extensive and sometimes conflicting advice while weighing his treatment options.
“Some are pro this, pro that,” he said. “Researchers, there’s a plethora of people who have reached out to me. I’ve talked to a lot of people. That’s why I’m much more comfortable with the decision I made.”
The mayor said he selected a surgeon who has performed approximately 20,000 prostate removal procedures and came highly recommended by former patients.
Demings expects to be away from work for two to three weeks following the surgery. He said he anticipates making a full recovery, although recovery time can vary among patients.
Demings said he chose to discuss the private diagnosis publicly because he wants other men, particularly Black men, to be proactive about their health.
The American Cancer Society estimates that about one in eight men will develop prostate cancer during their lifetime. The disease occurs more frequently among Black men, who are also more than twice as likely as White men to die from it.
Prostate cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer among Black men, accounting for an estimated 44% of new cancer diagnoses in that population, according to the American Cancer Society.
The organization recommends that men discuss the potential benefits and risks of prostate cancer screening with their healthcare providers. Those conversations should begin earlier for Black men and others considered at higher risk.
Demings said his regular checkups likely helped doctors detect his cancer before he developed noticeable symptoms.
“If you hadn’t been getting those checkups, it’s very likely this would have gone undetected,” Jones asked.
“Likely, yes,” Demings replied. “And that’s what I say to men: Go to the doctor. Make sure that you’re proactive with your health.”
Demings said suspending his gubernatorial campaign was difficult, but his health and family had to come first.
“I’ve had a lot of titles over that 45 years,” he said. “And one more would have been nice, but not necessary.”
Demings is expected to undergo surgery in the coming days and will miss an upcoming Orange County Commission meeting while recovering.
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