American Manhunt: OJ Simpson has been released this week on Netflix
A Netflix documentary titled American Manhunt: OJ Simpson, has been released this week (January 29) and comes less than a year after the former football player died from cancer. The four-part series looks at the “trial of the century” following the murder of his ex-wife Nicole Brown-Simpson and her friend, Ronald Goldman.
The NFL star, who was found not guilty, was accused of double murder and was put on trial for eight months sending shockwaves through the world. But during the last year of his life, he has a number of health issues and eventually died from cancer.
‘The Juice’, as he was nicknamed, died from prostate cancer at the age of 76 on April 10 2024. Signs of the cancer can be ‘silent’ so what are the symptoms you need to look out for? Here is what you need to know.
What are the signs and symptoms of prostate cancer?
It was reported in February – just two months before his death – that Simpson was diagnosed with cancer, reports local10, with outlets suggesting the cancer was late stage. Despite this, it’s unclear when he was diagnosed and how long he had had it for.
But healthcare providers often warn the disease can be difficult to spot, as it often causes no symptoms at first or could be mistaken for normal signs of aging. This is why it’s key to keep an eye out for symptoms and to get it checked out as early as possible.
Symptoms, according to Prostate Cancer UK, include:
- difficulty starting to urinate or emptying your bladder
- a weak flow when you urinate
- a feeling that your bladder hasn’t emptied properly
- dribbling urine after you finish urinating
- needing to urinate more often than usual, especially at night
- a sudden need to urinate – you may sometimes leak urine before you get to the toilet
The charity explains: “Men with early prostate cancer will often have no symptoms because of the way the cancer grows. You’ll usually only get early symptoms if the cancer grows near the tube you urinate through (the urethra) and presses against it, changing the way you urinate (wee).
“But because prostate cancer usually starts to grow in a different part (usually the outer part) of the prostate, early prostate cancer doesn’t often press on the urethra and cause symptoms.” However if prostate cancer breaks out of the prostate or spreads to other parts of the body, symptoms may include:
- back pain, hip pain or pelvis pain
- problems getting or keeping an erection
- blood in the urine or semen
- unexplained weight loss
Am I at risk of prostate cancer?
You may be at risk if you:
- Are over 50 – your risk increases as you get older
- Are aged between 70 and 74 years
- Are Black or have a family history of prostate cancer, you are at a higher risk of getting prostate cancer from the age of 45
Can I prevent prostate cancer?
Experts note that a healthy lifestyle is key but there is no known way to prevent this cancer. The UK charity notes that “Being overweight may increase your risk of being diagnosed with prostate cancer that’s aggressive (more likely to spread) or advanced (cancer that has spread outside the prostate). Eating healthily and keeping active can help you stay a healthy weight.”
Prostate cancer is England’s most common cancer
As we reported earlier this week, prostate cancer has become England’s most common cancer as more men are getting checked. Prostate Cancer UK analysis shows diagnoses of the disease overtook breast cancer in 2022 and 2023. It suggests there has been a 25% increase in prostate cancer cases between 2019 and 2023 which the charity puts down to heightened awareness of the disease, leading to more men getting an early diagnosis, reports the Mirror Online.
Professor Peter Johnson, NHS England’s Clinical Director for Cancer, said: “Thanks to the hard work of NHS staff and our effective awareness campaigns, we are diagnosing more men with prostate cancer at an earlier stage than ever before, so they have the best possible chance of receiving effective treatment.
“We know that coming forward for prostate checks can be daunting, but it could save your life, so we would encourage men to consult the prostate cancer symptoms advice available on NHS, and to see their GP as soon as possible if they are concerned.”
