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Tuesday, October 21, 2003
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De Niro Diagnosed With Prostate Cancer
Fans were shocked to see Tuesday morning's headlines: Robert De Niro, a two-time Oscar winner and beloved icon, was diagnosed with prostate cancer.
In a bit of dark irony, one of Robert De Niro's first roles was playing a baseball catcher diagnosed with cancer in 1973's "Bang the Drum Slowly."
But De Niro will not be in this fight alone. The two-time Oscar winner is getting an outpouring of support from his famous friends.
At the New York premiere of "Beyond Borders," Angelina Jolie sounded upbeat. She says, "We all care about him. We all know him. I’m sure everyone is praying for him to recover, and I’m sure he will."
Cuba Gooding Jr. starred opposite De Niro in "Men of Honor." Tuesday morning, "Extra" caught up with the actor in New York where Gooding was promoting the "Read to Achieve" program. Gooding says, "I am praying for him. He's such a wonderful man. He was so warm to me when I worked with him and my heart goes out to him."
De Niro's announcement made for some startling headlines. But Tuesday morning we found out the real prognosis for the 60-year-old superstar.
Dr. Ben Shenassa, an urologist for Glendale Memorial Hospital who is not treating De Niro, says the actor should still be able to work on his new movie "Hide and Seek," which is scheduled to shoot early next year. He says, "If detected early, the survival rate for prostate cancer is very good. The treatment may tire him, but he should be okay."
De Niro is no stranger to cancer. His father died of the disease in 1993, and a couple of the actor's close New York friends, including former New York Mayor Giuliani and New York Yankee’s Manager Joe Torre, both beat the disease. And now De Niro’s millions of fans hope and pray that he does the same.
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