As former US President Joe Biden battles prostate cancer, Elon Musk’s father has revealed for the first time his own secret diagnosis and operation – and has launched a personal mission to help men live longer by getting tested to see if they have a genetic predisposition for the disease.
South African businessman Errol Musk, 79, was diagnosed with prostate cancer in early 2024 and had to have an urgent operation to have his prostate removed.
The news comes on the heels of former US President Joe Biden revealing in May that he is fighting an aggressive and advanced form of prostate cancer.
According to research 1 in 8 men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer in their lifetime.
In May 2013, Hollywoord actress Angelina Jolie revealed that she had undergone a preventative double mastectomy after testing positive for a BRCA1 gene mutation, known to dramatically increase a woman’s chance for developing breast and ovarian cancers.
In an exclusive video interview with fellow South African entrepreneur and friend Avi Lasarow, Musk said he only found out in early 2024 after a regular check-up following open-heart surgery that had taken place years earlier.
Raised PSA
In the interview, which took place before the announcement about Biden’s health, Musk – who celebrated his 79th birthday on Sunday – said: “A few years ago, I went for a medical and the flying medical doctor sort of rushed me to a cardiologist, and I had an open-heart operation as a result of that.
“I keep going back for checkups and so on. I’m all right, I had a valve repair, replacement and in my heart.
“But when I went for my checkup at the beginning of last year, they said to me, with the many blood tests they do, that I had a raised PSA [Prostate-Specific Antigen]. Not particularly raised, but it was raised.
“I was advised to go to a urologist and have that looked at. I went to urologist and he asked me to come back, which brings me to a rather sort of comical aspect.
“I always thought when you go into see a doctor and he’s going to tell you that you have cancer, that he first tells you to sit down, and maybe offers you a cup of tea and asks you, if you’re comfortable, if you’d like a cushion?
“They don’t do that. You’ve barely sat down on a hard bench chair, and they’ve said: “You have cancer!” And so, after seeing the urologist, he said to me I have cancer of the prostate.
“I said: “Well, what now, you know?”
He said: “Well, we can remove the prostate, and then we have to see what’s left”
“So, I agreed and I went for this operation and they removed my prostate and also all the lymph nodes on the right side, they cleared that all out as well.
“The biopsy showed that the prostate was carcinomas. It wasn’t a question of leaving it. So, it was definitely the right decision in terms of maintaining my life. They didn’t suggest to me that there was an alternative. They said you must have this removed.
“And as I’ve been going back, I don’t seem to have a problem at this point.”
‘Didn’t know much about cancer’
Musk cancelled a planned overseas trip and had the operation in July 2024, around the time then-presidential hopeful Donald Trump faced an assassination attempt and his son Elon first endorsed him.
Musk admits he didn’t know much about cancer.
He added: “I must say, even though I was 77 at the time, I’d really little knowledge of cancer.
“I really didn’t know what cancer was. And even though I thought I did through the years, you know, picking it up, I think we sort of avoid it, avoid learning about it. And then when I started learning about it, then I started to realise “Oh, it’s simply the body shutting down certain organs with cells that do not function.
“I’m glad that I was advised to go for the checkup. In fact, I didn’t have to. I was advised by the cardiologist to go and see a urologist. And I did.
“There are many times, perhaps in the past, when I think possibly, I’ve been advised to go and see somebody about something. But people don’t do it.
“But these days, it’s easier to have tests and checkups than it’s been for a long time.”
Get tested early
Errol is now encouraging men to get a DNA test early to see if they have a genetic pre-disposition to developing prostate cancer, which can then lead to getting a Prostate-Specific Antigen test to identify if they do have it.
DNA testing for prostate cancer can be either germline testing (looking for inherited mutations) or tumour testing (examining changes within the cancer cells).
Prostate cancers are linked to inherited genetic mutations, and testing can help determine if an individual has an increased risk due to a family history of prostate cancer or other related cancers.
DNA testing can help identify individuals at high risk of prostate cancer, guide treatment decisions and provide information to relatives who may also be at risk.
Some examples of genetic tests used in prostate cancer include those that analyse mutations in genes like BRCA1 and BRCA2. BRCA1 is the gene Angelina Jolie tested, which led to her decision to have a double mastectomy.
Lasarow asked Musk in the interview: “If you had known earlier that a simple DNA test could give you an indication of your pre-disposition to prostate cancer, would that encourage you to test?”
Musk replied: “Of course, absolutely. In fact, I would have preferred not to lose my prostate. I would have preferred to have had a DNA test. And the DNA test would have led me to see a doctor earlier who would have said ‘let’s do this, this and this’, and that would have been the end of any potential cancer of the prostate.
“That would be far, far better for me, because there are quite a few downs having lost your prostate. Very few people would even be aware that there’s a possibility of having these DNA tests. And my last experience with DNA tests is they cost $100 so. It’s so inexpensive now that not to have a DNA test is just plain silly.”
‘Daughters were more upset’
Musk said his sons took the news of his cancer calmly whilst his daughters were more upset.
He said: “So with your sons, you’d be: “Listen, I just need to tell you, I have been diagnosed with cancer of such and such an organ.”
They’d reply: “Okay, how bad is it?
I’d say: “Well, they say, I have to have the organ removed.
“Okay,” they say. “Do you need any money?
You say: “No” and they say: “Okay, keep us informed.” They presume that I would tell them if it’s not looking too good, you know?
“So, it’s a man thing. You know, the type of communication.
“People often ask me, you know, how often do I speak to Elon, for example, and I speak to him, but it’s on WhatsApp or email, and sometimes by voice.
“If I were to phone Elon and say: “I’m just calling to ask you how your week was,” you know, Elon would say to me ‘Okay, dad, so you’re telling me the cancers come back.’ Men are different.”
“You tell your daughters by way of a slow introduction, over about three days. You sort of talk about the subject until they finally say: “Why are you telling us this? Have you got something wrong?”
“You say, no, no, no, no, no. And then slowly, you know, by the third day you say “Look, I have actually got to have a part of me removed” at which point you can’t continue the conversation.”
‘Much better now’
He added: “For the first six weeks, I actually felt pretty awful. You feel no strength. Your body feels weak, your legs weak, you just feel old, and you don’t feel very good.
“The doctor said to me it would take 12 months after the operation before I felt all right.
“But I started to feel ok after three months I’m much better now, and I’m looking forward to getting to the 12 months.”
Musk now wants to help people live longer and fuller lives.
“I would imagine that it’s not far away that we will start getting breakthroughs that will tell people that under certain correct circumstances, you could exceed 100 years, and in due course, the average lifespan might be 120 years.
“Bear in mind that before the First World War, the average lifespan of a European woman was 39 years. It’s now nearly 85 years. So that’s double and it’s possible, with the improvements that are available, the discoveries that are being made and DNA testing, people will be able to live much longer and more productive lives,” Musk said.
Plans to launch a research project
Musk has launched www.muskhealthsystems.com – where he plans to launch a future research project and a proactive testing system that focuses on longevity and screening for genetic predisposition to illnesses and conditions.
“I feel lucky to be alive and feel fortunate my tumour was caught early, while it was still treatable – but there are so many men who are not so fortunate.
‘With one in eight men set to develop prostate cancer in their lifetime, it’s vital we catch it early and get them the urgent treatment they need.
“I urge all Governments to introduce national screening programs so we can ensure men get diagnosed faster and catch the cancer before it develops,” Musk said.
Errol was interviewed by Avi Lasarow, a UK-based South African entrepreneur, philanthropist and campaigner who has dedicated his life to improving the health and wellness of millions of people.
Avi launched life sciences diagnostic firm DNAFit and became chief executive EMEA of Prenetics, which helped to provide Covid screening during the pandemic.
Sobering stats
According to Prostate Cancer UK, in the UK:
- Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men
- More than 50 000 men are diagnosed with prostate cancer every year
- More than 12 000 men die from prostate cancer every year
- 1 in 8 men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer in their lifetime
- Around 510 000 men are living with or after prostate cancer
According to the American Cancer Society:
- Prostate cancer is the second-leading cause of cancer death in American men, behind only lung cancer. About 1 in 44 men will die of prostate cancer
- About 1 in 8 men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer during their lifetime. But each man’s risk of prostate cancer can vary, based on his age, race/ethnicity, and other factors
- Prostate cancer is more likely to develop in older men. About 6 in 10 prostate cancers are diagnosed in men who are 65 or older, and it is rare in men under 40. The average age of men when they are first diagnosed is about 67
- Prostate cancer risk is also higher in African American men and in Caribbean men of African ancestry than in men of other races
The American Cancer Society’s estimates for prostate cancer in the United States for 2025 are:
- About 313 780 new cases of prostate cancer
- About 35 770 deaths from prostate cancer
Have you ever been for a prostate checkup?
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