Terrance Freeman diagnosed with prostate cancer

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Jacksonville City Council member and former council president Terrance Freeman announced that he has prostate cancer in a social media post on Thursday.

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According to a thread on X, formerly known as Twitter, Freeman explained that he has been diagnosed with the disease, but assures the community that it was caught early. He also said he would be starting treatment next week and would be missing a few future city council meetings.

Although the news may be bad for some, Freeman used the opportunity to encourage men in Jacksonville to get prostate exams so that it can be caught early and be treated before it becomes a serious issue for others.

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Below is the complete statement Freeman made on his X account in a thread:

“I was recently diagnosed with prostate cancer. My family and I are thankful it was caught early and I am scheduled to begin treatment next week. It is important to me to be transparent about where I am with this diagnosis and acknowledge that I will miss Council meetings in the months ahead. This is the same insidious disease that affected the quality of life for my Dad - but early detection is key to saving lives. September is #ProstateCancer Awareness Month and I’d like to take this opportunity to encourage men in our community to schedule a prostate exam with your medical provider. Ask questions and educate yourself about prevention, screening, diagnosis and treatment. #ProstateCancer is 100% treatable when caught early enough. Unfortunately, many men do not get screened and allow this disease to fester. Especially Black men, who are 2.5 times more likely to die from prostate cancer than white men. We can do better. We can save lives. I am so grateful for my outstanding medical team, my wife Rachel and our family, who are my rock. We are going to fight with every ounce of energy we have - and we will win.”

—  Terrance Freeman, Jacksonville City Council

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You can read the original X thread below:

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