TORONTO -- Longtime Blue Jays radio broadcaster Jerry Howarth will undergo prostate cancer surgery next week to remove a small tumor that was discovered during an MRI earlier this year.
Howarth revealed the diagnosis during a television interview with CTV News. He credited the MRI with detecting the disease in its early stages, so doctors are very optimistic the surgery will be successful.
The issue dates back five years ago when Howarth began experiencing high PSA (prostate-specific antigen) levels. A biopsy didn't locate the source of the problem, but Howarth was later referred to Dr. Robert Nam at Sunnybrook Health Services in Toronto and an MRI was performed.
"I had an MRI, which I thought was magnetic resonance imaging, but I found out that it was really a most revealing investigation," Howarth told CTV News, proving he had not lost his sense of humor throughout the ordeal.
The 70-year-old Howarth recently celebrated his 35th season with the Blue Jays as their radio play-by-play announcer. He received the 2012 Jack Graney Award from the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame, which is presented to a member of the media who made significant contributions in Canada through their life's work.