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

When Francis S. Collins first learned that his prostate-specific antigen levels were rising, he wasn’t particularly worried. A slow rise in PSA levels, which can indicate the presence of prostate cancer, is common in men older than 65, and most never develop severe disease.

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