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SAN MARCOS, Calif. (AP) — Former miler and Olympian Steve Scott has prostate cancer — 20 years after beating testicular cancer.
The 58-year-old track and cross-country coach at Cal State San Marcos was diagnosed in June.
Scott is undergoing proton therapy, a form of radiation treatment that kills cancer cells while preserving healthy surrounding tissue. He finishes his eight-week course in San Diego at the end of the month.
During his treatment he has been able to coach and run three to five miles a day. His doctor described his prognosis as good to excellent.
Scott is a member of the USA Track and Field Hall of Fame. He ran 136 competitive mile races in under 4 minutes, a feat that remains unmatched.
He competed in the 1,500 in two Olympics, finishing 10th in Los Angeles in 1984 and fifth in Seoul in 1988. He made the team for the 1980 Moscow Games but did not run because of the boycott. Scott won a silver medal at the 1983 track and field world championships in Helsinki.
Scott said he decided against surgery because the tumor is near a nerve bundle that controls bowel and sexual function. He wanted to avoid the side-effects of conventional X-ray radiation therapy.
Dr. Carl Rossi of the Scripps Proton Therapy Center said Scott will require years of follow-up visits for monitoring.
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