Edmonds travel expert Rick Steves discloses that he has cancer

Prominent travel guidebook author and public television host Rick Steves announced on social media this week that he has been diagnosed with prostate cancer.

Steves, who is also the owner of travel business Rick Steves’ Europe, made the announcement in statements posted on his X, Facebook and Instagram pages Wednesday.

“I’d like to take a moment to share some important news,” Steves began his online statement. “I have been diagnosed with prostate cancer. My doctor assures me that, if you’re going to get cancer, this is a good kind to get, and careful scans show no sign of it having spread.”

He added that there is a “clear path forward to getting healthy” and he’ll be having prostate surgery. 

Steves hasn’t showed signs of slowing down and it appears this diagnosis isn’t going to get in the way of his beloved work.

The travel expert said in his statement he plans on filming two new shows in France for the next three weeks. From there, he will come back to Edmonds where he lives, works and runs his company and have his surgery. He added that he hopes to be “back at it by the end of October.”

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Looking more at prostate cancer

The federal government’s National Cancer Institute (NCI), which is part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), estimates that there will be about 299,000 prostate cancer diagnoses in the U.S. 2024. That is 14.9% of all cancer diagnoses.

The NCI also stated that about 12.8% of men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer at some point during their lifetime, based on 2018–2021 data, excluding 2020 due to COVID-19.

According to the United States Cancer Statistics from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 97% of prostate cancer patients had not died from their cancer five years later. (But survival varied by stage at diagnosis.) Survival is high because many prostate cancers grow slowly or not at all, the government website reads.

“While the statistics tell me I should be just fine, I’ve been fortunate to have never spent a night in a hospital — and I find myself going into this adventure almost like it’s some amazing, really important trip,” Steves said in his online statement.

Steves also said he has “great trust” in his doctor and in Seattle’s Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center.

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More on Rick Steves’ work

According to a recent story in Travel + Leisure, Steves has filmed more than 150 episodes in 33 years. The publication added Steves still spends about 100 days per year in Europe working, often filming 12 hours a day, 30 days in a row.

The Rick Steves’ Europe website explains that he spends his time in Europe each year “researching guidebooks, fine-tuning his tour program, filming his TV show, and making new discoveries for travelers.”

In addition, the travel business operates a small-group tour program that brings more than 30,000 people to Europe annually. The goal is “to inspire, inform, and equip Americans to have European trips that are fun, affordable, and culturally broadening.”

Steves also just filmed and released a new special about Iceland called “Rick Steves Iceland” where he began in Reykjavík and traveled through the entire country. It premiered Aug. 11.

He told Travel + Leisure this month that being out of his comfort zone is why he does what he does.

“It’s the magic juice of travel that motivates us with our tour program, our guidebooks, and our TV shows,” Steves told the travel publication. “We want to help Americans be bold and enthusiastically get out of their comfort zone so they come home with a broader perspective.”

Editors’ note: The link to Rick Steves’ Instagram page has been updated to refer interested parties to the correct page.

Steve Coogan is the lead editor of MyNorthwest. You can read more of his stories here. Follow Steve on X, or email him here.