Supervisor John Pedrozo has been diagnosed with prostate cancer, he announced Wednesday. Pedrozo, who turns 51 today, learned he had early-stage prostate cancer in June.

Pedrozo, who represents District 1, said the cancer hasn’t spread and he expects to recover fully. He has no plans to step down or take a leave of absence from his supervisor’s seat.

He’ll have surgery to remove his prostate at UC San Francisco in September.

Pedrozo delivered the news at a 2 p.m. press conference in the Merced County Administration Building. With his wife Kelly and son Josh at his side, a teary Pedrozo said he was making his diagnosis public to raise awareness about prostate cancer.

“As you can well imagine this is a challenging time, but I’m also proud to report that the long-term prognosis is good,” said Pedrozo.

If caught and treated early, the survival rate for prostate cancer is nearly 100 percent, said Merced County Public Health Director John Volanti.

Like many men with early-stage prostate cancer, Pedrozo had no symptoms. He was screened for the disease in February after his brother Tim, 48, was diagnosed with the same cancer. Pedrozo had two blood tests that revealed elevated levels of PSAs, or prostate specific antigens. A biopsy confirmed the diagnosis.

Pedrozo’s brother had his prostate removed and has fully recovered.

Pedrozo urged other men to get tested for the disease, even though the screening process involves a rectal exam.

“A lot of my cowboy buddies are afraid of what has to be done at the doctor’s office, but if you want to live, you have to put that aside and just get it done,” said Pedrozo.

Pedrozo said he had some risk factors for the disease, such as a family history of cancer, that other local men could have, too. His mother died of breast cancer at age 51. Other risk factors include age and race. Men older than 50 are at higher risk, so are African-American men.

The prostate is a walnut-sized gland located under the bladder and surrounding the upper part of the urethra. Prostate cancer happens when the cells of the prostate grow uncontrollably. The cancer is slow-growing, but if it spreads outside the prostate, it is dangerous.

Pedrozo was elected to the Board of Supervisors in 2004. He is an alfalfa farmer south of Merced. He’s running unopposed for a second term this November.

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