Philadelphia’s Fox29 Morning Anchor Mike Jerrick Shares Prostate Cancer Diagnosis

Fans have been wondering where longtime morning TV man, Mike Jerrick, has been since he's been missing from TV screens on FOX29 each morning. He was last seen on TV nearly a month ago.

Earlier today, Mike answered those questions. The longtime morning TV man revealed that he’s been missing from TV because he’s been recovering from surgery following a prostate cancer diagnosis earlier this year.

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The Good Day Philadelphia anchor was joined by the station’s medical correspondent Mike Cirigliano when he said that that was diagnosed back in May when he underwent a “standard blood test.”

Cirigilano is also one of Jerrick’s healthcare providers.

“I could’ve just done nothing. I could’ve hit it with radiation for a couple of years, but I agreed with (my urologist). ‘Let’s get this sucker out of me,’” Jerrick said in a pre-taped statement that aired during Monday morning’s broadcast.

You can view the full story with comments from Mike here: 

The surgery, which occurred a few weeks ago, seems to have gone well for Jerrick, who is now 74 years old.

“Had we waited much longer, there’s a good possibility it would have spread outside the prostate,” Dr. Cirigliano said. “So that was a win-win situation.”

READ MORE: Suspect Charged in Attack Against Fox29's Bob Kelly

A timeline for Jerrick’s return to the airwaves was not immediately clear. But he does plan on returning to work soon it sounds like.

Meanwhile, the station has been using fill-ins including station veterans Thomas Drayton and Karen Hepp on air during the morning show.

Jerrick hoped his story would encourage viewers to get tested or screened in the future as well. It’s estimated that 1 out of 8 every men will face a prostate cancer diagnosis at some time during their lifetime.

Early detection and treatment are key to battling the disease, according to the American Cancer Society.