What to know about prostate cancer following Francis Collins’s diagnosis

When Francis S. Collins first learned that his prostate-specific antigen levels were increasing, he wasn’t particularly concerned. A slow rise in PSA levels, which may indicate the presence of prostate cancer, is common in men over 65. most never develop serious illness.

However, when the former director of the National Institutes of Health underwent an MRI about a month ago, the ultrasound revealed an enlarged tumor. By then his PSA levels had also increased and he knew his diagnosis had changed dramatically.