Travel Icon Rick Steves Vows To Continue Traveling Despite Scary Cancer Diagnosis

The world's most easygoing, affable traveler is embarking on a journey none of us ever wants to make. On August 21, Rick Steves announced via a post on X (formerly known as Twitter) that he has received a prostate cancer diagnosis and will undergo surgery at Seattle's Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center near his hometown of Edmonds in September. The news came as a shock to many who just this week watched Steves chase rainbows and waterfalls through Iceland on the latest installment of "Rick Steves' Europe" on PBS. 

The bestselling author of "For the Love of Europe" and "Europe Through the Back Door" shared that his treatment will be routine and he has an excellent prognosis for recovery. "My doctor assures me that, if you're going to get cancer, this is a good kind to get," he wrote. In true Steves style, he peppered his post with whimsical detail, indicating that he is approaching this episode of life with optimism and even curiosity. "I find myself going into this adventure almost like it's some amazing, really important trip." He went on to list the "souvenirs" he plans to collect, including "being more thankful."

Rick Steves' cancer is early stage, and scans show that it has not spread, so statistically he is likely to make a full recovery – he even got his doctor to agree to let him finish filming a couple new episodes before submitting himself to treatment. According to the American Cancer Society, prostate cancer is the second-most common cancer among men in the U.S. after skin cancer, affecting 1 in 8 men. The average age of diagnosis is 67, so Steves, age 69, is fairly typical, but with early detection of localized disease, the ACS has identified a five-year relative survival rate of over 99%.

"I'll likely get my surgery in late September, be laid up for a month, and—God willing—be cancer-free and back at it by the end of October," Steves explained. In the meantime, he thanked his readers and viewers and humbly invited fellow travelers to send him any "travel tips" they might have. He'll likely have plenty of his own to share once he's back to his usual routine. Lucky for all of the explorers who wouldn't know Slovenia from souvlaki without his gently uplifting voice urging them to get out and enjoy the planet, it sounds like Rick Steves expects to continue supplying his fans with top travel pointers for many years to come.