Travel host Rick Steves reveals prostate cancer diagnosis

Travel writer and television host Rick Steves has been diagnosed with prostate cancer.

On Wednesday, August 21, Steve, 69, shared on X (formerly Twitter) that he was preparing to undergo surgery this fall at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center in Seattle, but that he remained grateful and positive.

“I wanted to take a moment to share some important news. I have been diagnosed with prostate cancer,” Rick Steves Europe Star started. “My doctor assured me it was a good option if you were going to get cancer, and careful scans showed no signs of spread.”

“There is a clear path back to health and I will be in the hospital for a few days this fall undergoing prostate surgery,” he added.

Steves is best known for his travel advice on TV shows Europe through the back door Guide series, revealed he has been given the go-ahead to film two more shows in France over the next three weeks before returning home to Edmonds, Washington, in mid-September.

The travel host shared: “I’ll probably have surgery in late September, be bedridden for a month and, God willing, I’ll be cancer-free and healthy by the end of October.”

“I have full confidence in my doctors and the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center in Seattle. I have a lot to be grateful for… including the support of friends and loved ones and the unwavering belief that I am in good hands,” he added.

Steve said luckily he had never spent an overnight stay in a hospital before but thought it would be another “amazing trip”.

Steves wrote: “While the statistics tell me I should be fine, I’ve been lucky enough to never have to spend a night in the hospital, and I find myself embarking on this adventure almost as if this is an amazing, extraordinary experience. Important trip.

“I feel good about my positive attitude – I hope to take home some pleasant, intangible souvenirs, such as: appreciating and seeing the energy in the little things; appreciating the kindness of people and the wealth of friends and family; being modernized Medicine and an amazing, smart and dedicated group of people have made this possible; and, overall, we are even more grateful,” he added.

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“I look forward to many more years of happy travel, exciting collaborations, and wonderful friendships. Thank you for your love and support (and any ‘travel tips’ you may have for me as I embark on this journey),” he concluded.

The best-selling author posted a photo from his trip with the message, captioning it, “Be thankful.”

Steve typically spends approximately four months each year in Europe, working on new travel content and his many projects. As well as his guide series, television shows and Traveling with Rick Steves His company also operates a small-group tour program that takes 30,000 tourists to Europe each year, according to his website.