Andrew Young Announces He Has Prostate Cancer

Jet, Nov 1, 1999

Andrew Young, the former United Nations ambassador and Atlanta mayor, recently announced that he has early-stage prostate cancer.

Young, 67, will have surgery in December at Emory University Hospital in Atlanta to remove his prostate, the announcement said.

"So many of my friends and colleagues have had this operation, and at a much younger age, that I consider it a blessing that I've made it almost to age 68 with no difficulties," Young said in a statement.

"I want to encourage middle-aged and older men to have regular prostate screenings and to do everything they can to lead a healthy and spiritually fulfilling life," Young said.

Lee Echols, a spokesman for Atlanta's Olympic organization, said a routine test in late September prompted doctors to do an ultrasound and then a biopsy of the prostate tissue, which was determined to be cancerous.

"The prognosis ... is good because the cancer has been caught at an early stage," Echols said.

The surgery was put off until December to allow time for Young to rearrange his schedule.

In 1981, Young was elected mayor of Atlanta. He served two terms and during the later part of his second term was a key in the effort to get the 1996 Olympics for Atlanta. He continued his effort after leaving office in early 1990; the choice was announced later that year.

Currently, Young is chairman of Atlanta-based Goodworks International, a consulting company that brings together investors and entrepreneurs, particularly in Third World nations.

When Jimmy Carter was elected president in 1976, Carter appointed Young as ambassador to the United Nations, where he served until 1979.