In this episode, we sit down with Commander Craig Reiner, a retired Navy fighter pilot and prostate cancer survivor, to explore the intersection between military service and men's health. We open with Craig's journey through the Naval Academy and his decorated career as a combat pilot, including the high-risk, high-adrenaline experiences of landing an F/A-18 on an aircraft carrier at night. But it’s another risk—one far less visible—that ultimately changed his life: a prostate cancer diagnosis at age 42.

We talk through how routine military screening, starting at age 40, likely saved Craig’s life. Even with no family history and no symptoms, his PSA levels were still closely monitored. When his PSA unexpectedly tripled, his flight surgeon referred him to a urologist. Despite being well below standard thresholds, Craig pushed for a biopsy. It came back positive, and he immediately opted for a full prostatectomy. His cancer was caught early, fully contained, and successfully removed. He’s now been disease-free since 2011.

Craig reflects on the challenge of facing cancer at a young age, especially as a single father of two, including a son with special needs. He shares how the discipline and mental toughness from his military career helped him power through the diagnosis and treatment. He expresses zero regret about undergoing surgery, emphasizing the peace of mind it gave him.

We also discuss broader issues—like how military aviators may be at increased risk for certain cancers. Craig believes exposure to radar, UV radiation, and extreme physical stressors likely played a role. He references emerging studies linking fighter pilots to higher rates of not just prostate cancer, but also brain injuries and melanoma. We agree that current prostate cancer screening guidelines fail to recognize these unique risk factors, often excluding high-risk men due to age or occupational exposure.

Throughout, Craig shares how he has made men’s health advocacy a part of his everyday life. He regularly engages friends, fellow veterans, and even strangers in conversations about PSA testing and prostate cancer. He pushes back against the male reluctance to seek help—what we call the “cockpit mentality”—and urges men to take control of their health the way they take care of their cars.

We close by discussing Craig’s current lifestyle: staying active, flying recreational planes, and still chasing the thrill—safely. His story is one of discipline, awareness, survivorship, and purpose. And his message is clear: early detection saves lives, and the guidelines need to catch up.

Michigan Men’s Health Foundation — https://www.michiganmenshealthfoundation.org

National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) — https://www.nccn.org

U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) — https://www.uspreventiveservicestaskforce.org

In this episode, we explore how we’re reshaping the way we approach prostate cancer screening. We begin with Dr. Arnon Chait’s fascinating personal journey—from working as a physicist and rocket scientist at NASA to co-founding Cleveland Diagnostics. His transition from space science to biotechnology is rooted in a deeper mission: making medical diagnostics more effective, accessible, and less invasive.

Dr. Chait explains how he and his co-founder Boris Zaslavsky created Cleveland Diagnostics through a unique scientific and clinical collaboration. Their work led to the development of IsoPSA, a next-generation liquid biopsy test that significantly improves the accuracy of prostate cancer screening compared to the traditional PSA test. While PSA testing has been vital since the 1980s, it lacks specificity, often leading to unnecessary and painful biopsies. IsoPSA changes that by identifying whether the PSA comes from normal or cancerous cells, giving physicians better guidance for decision-making.

We reflect on the flaws in current screening guidelines, particularly the U.S. Preventative Services Task Force’s recommendations that limit PSA screening based on age, rather than overall health or family history. Both of us agree that this age cap contributes to preventable cases of advanced prostate cancer. The ability to stratify risk early—and cost-effectively—is essential for improving outcomes and reducing the financial and emotional burdens of over-treatment.

A major focus of our conversation is democratizing access to early detection. We discuss integrating IsoPSA into mobile men’s health clinics, allowing men in underserved areas to receive accurate results in real time from a single blood draw. IsoPSA’s affordability and compatibility with existing lab equipment make it ideal for broad implementation.

We also touch on the importance of public engagement and awareness campaigns like Cleveland Diagnostics' “PSA on PSA,” which aims to spread knowledge and encourage early testing. Yet, we recognize that stigma around men’s health persists. We call for more public figures and survivors to share their stories, helping to normalize conversations about prostate and testicular cancer.

We conclude with reflections on legacy, innovation, and the evolving role of AI in diagnostics. While AI has promise, we emphasize the importance of keeping diagnostics simple, interpretable, and actionable for real-world clinical settings.

In this episode of the On Call for Men’s Health Podcast, we sit down with Alex Kimbrough, a longtime Emmy Award-winning director at Fox 2 Detroit, to explore his deeply personal and professional journey. While known for his behind-the-scenes presence in news broadcasting, Alex opens up about his upbringing, the influence of Cass Technical High School, his health battles, and his path to transformation.

We begin by understanding Alex’s role in news production, where he walks us through the intensity of live directing, managing chaos in real time, and what it takes to make a newscast flow seamlessly. Alex’s pride in his alma mater, Cass Tech, is palpable. He shares how it was a formative institution that shaped his sense of identity and excellence, and how its alumni have quietly but powerfully impacted the world.

We then shift to more emotional terrain as Alex recalls his friendship with former Fox 2 General Manager Jeff Murray, whose tragic suicide in 2011 left a permanent mark. Alex also opens up about being the director behind monumental events like the funerals of Coleman Young, Rosa Parks, and Aretha Franklin, moments that defined Detroit history and his own career.

Health becomes a central theme as Alex reflects on his own struggles, including obesity, hypertension, kidney disease, and seizures. His turning point came through bariatric surgery, a step he resisted for years but ultimately embraced. He credits his wife Rosalyn, a breast cancer “conqueror,” and his son for giving him strength and purpose. Their support—and his desire to be present for life’s future moments, like dancing at his granddaughter’s wedding—propelled him toward lasting change.

Alex discusses the psychological and emotional impact of weight loss, the changes in news media over the decades, and how legacy media is adapting to the digital era. He also shares his pride in producing The Hunt, a reality-style news segment on unemployment, which earned him an Emmy and reaffirmed his creative vision.

We close with Alex’s reflections on fatherhood, legacy, and resilience. His mantra, “I can’t want this more than you,” serves as a call to personal responsibility and action. He’s now living as “Alex 2.0,” intent on advocating for men’s health, encouraging others to take ownership of their wellness, and setting an example for his family and community.

Links: Michigan Men's Health Foundation: https://www.michiganmenshealthfoundation.org

The Pink Fund: https://www.pinkfund.org

Cass Technical High School: https://www.detroitk12.org/casstech

In this episode of the On Call for Men's Health podcast, Dr. Michael Lutz is joined by Frank Lescas, Vice President of Marketing at Blue Earth Diagnostics, to discuss prostate cancer survivorship, the evolution of prostate cancer diagnostics, and the role of radiopharmaceuticals in improving men's health. Blue Earth Diagnostics, founded in 2014, has become a leader in developing innovative diagnostic tools, especially for prostate cancer, with products like Axumin and Posluma, which allow physicians to better visualize cancer at a cellular level using PET scans. This can all follow the initial screening, which is done with a simple blood test.

Frank shares how Blue Earth's radiopharmaceuticals have revolutionized prostate cancer diagnostics by offering more precise imaging than traditional CT or MRI scans. This improved precision enables doctors like Dr. Lutz to better assess the stage of the disease, facilitating more informed decisions about treatment options, and advancing the shared decision-making process between patients and healthcare providers.

Throughout the episode, Frank reflects on his personal connection to prostate cancer. His grandfather and uncle both battled the disease in different eras, with his uncle benefitting from advances in PSA testing and therapeutic options. His brother, diagnosed more recently, exemplifies the benefits of modern prostate cancer management, including active surveillance and PSMA PET scanning. Frank stresses the importance of regular screening and advocacy, encouraging men to get PSA tests as part of their routine healthcare.

The conversation also highlights how prostate cancer diagnostics have evolved from crude blood tests in the 1970s to today's highly sensitive imaging and genetic tests. Dr. Lutz emphasizes the growing role of liquid biopsies and multiparametric MRIs, which, along with advanced PET scans, allow for more accurate staging and treatment planning. The episode calls for men to be proactive about their health, get screened regularly, and take advantage of advancements in prostate cancer detection and treatment.

You'll also hear about Frank's experience as an Olympic swimmer as well!

More:
Michigan Men's Health Foundation: https://www.miumenshealthfoundation.org/

Blue Earth Diagnostics: https://www.blueearthdiagnostics.com/

Today, Dr. Michael Lutz's guest is award-winning filmmaker Landi Maduro. Her documentary, The Silent Killer: Prostate Cancer in the African American Community has been screened by the Congressional Black Caucus and has been used by health care professionals and scholars educating on healthcare disparities and prostate cancer survivorship.

As a Black female, Landi got involved with this topic when her filmmaking partner, Chris Edwards, learned of his father's prostate cancer diagnosis. Then, within 6 months of working on the film, Landi's own father was diagnosed with the same disease.

Armed with what she learned making the movie, Landi took an active role in her father's treatment and care. And when the movie came out, she found a number of females actively engaged with it - those helping to care for a spouse or other family member.

In researching her film, Landi heard every excuse in the book for why men, particularly Black men, don't get screened for prostate cancer. She set out to attack those excuses, one by one, leaning on clergy and other community leaders to get the message out. She also featured a number of prostate cancer patients, all but one of whom survived.

Another focus of today's guest is sharing family history. For many, they don't know what their relatives died from. And knowing this history can lead to more advanced and preventative screening.

We also touch on an important subject in underserved communities - disparities in treatment. While Landi's father was undergoing active surveillance for his prostate cancer, his team found pancreatic cancer. They gave him a death sentence. It was a sentence that Dad accepted, but his daughter would not. She advocated for him, found him the best treatment, and he's still here. It's also important for Black men to participate in clinical trials, despite some very ugly history in that area. This is a prioirty for Landi as a member of the ZERO Prostate Cancer Health Equity Task Force.

More information:

ZERO Prostate Cancer Health Equity Task Force Website: https://zerocancer.org/our-mission-impact/zero-team/health-equity-task-force

The Silent Killer documentary on Tubi: https://tubitv.com/movies/100003487/the-silent-killer-prostate-cancer-in-the-african-american-community

MIU Men's Health Foundation Website:https://www.miumenshealthfoundation.org/

For years, urology has operated under the assumption that high testosterone was a risk factor for prostate cancer. Thanks to new research, we are now learning that low testosterone could be a greater cause for concern. At the forefront of this research is Dr. Ananias Diokno, Professor of Urology at Oakland University William Beaumont School of Medicine and University of Central Florida College of Medicine. He and Dr. Lutz have worked together in the past, when Dr. Diokno served as Chairman of Urology at Beaumont Hospital in Royal Oak, Michigan.

This isn't the first time that our guest has been front and center for a major new development in urology. He worked with his mentor, Dr. Jack Lapides, to make intermittent self-catheterization the new norm for patients at home. We spend some time talking about the special relationship between the two men.

At nearly 80 and still very active, Dr. Diokno talks about the role of natural supplements in his life, and how it's helped him with gout and severe cervical arthritis. There may also be implications here for natural ways to boost testosterone in the body.

Ananias suggests men have their testosterone checked around age 30 as a baseline, then to have it checked routinely in order to stay ahead of risk factors for BPH and prostate cancer.

MIU Men's Health Foundation Website:https://www.miumenshealthfoundation.org/

Dr. Deanna Lites has over 20 years of local and national health reporting experience on television and on the radio. She's interviewed Dr. Lutz many times over the last 10 years, but today we are turning the tables on her.

She tells stories of covering many different aspects of health, what got her into the field, and the phenomenon of men often putting off their own health care.

Dr. Lites tells the story of her own personal health scare. She was doing a story on heart screenings. And the results of her own screening, despite having no symptoms or issues, would forever change her life. It's a story that underscores the importance of staying on top of your health, even if nothing appears to be wrong.

Resources:

MIU Men's Health Foundation Website:https://www.miumenshealthfoundation.org/

Ken Hayward is a Vice President for Community Relations at Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan. He joins us today to discuss his journey as a prostate cancer survivor.

Ken talks about his experience from diagnosis to treatment to survivorship, and how his experience as a collegiate baseball player at the University of Michigan informed his perspective. He needed "teammates," from his wife to fellow survivors and more. This came in the form of education, emotional support, and more. Gone are the old days of "rub some dirt on it and move on."

Being your own best advocate with your health care provider is vitally important. It was Ken's request to have his PSA levels checked that led to his diagnosis, and the chance to catch the cancer in time.

Dr. Lutz and Ken spend the end of the conversation swapping stories that any sports fan would enjoy - from Gordie Howe to Bo Schembechler and more.

Resources:

MIU Men's Health Foundation Website:https://www.miumenshealthfoundation.org/