Norman Ceasar: The Cancer Winner Who Turned a Diagnosis into a Life-Saving Mission
When Norman Ceasar first heard the word “cancer,” he didn’t let it define him. Instead, he made a bold choice: Cancer might be in my body, but it will not take over my life. That decision didn’t just change his fate—it ignited a mission. One that would eventually take shape in the form of a deeply personal, urgently needed book: Cancer Winner.
Today, Ceasar is a retired U.S. Postal Service letter carrier living in Florida. But his journey from a mailman in Washington, D.C., to a published author and prostate cancer awareness advocate was paved with grit, discipline, and unwavering faith. In his memoir, Cancer Winner, Ceasar shares his experience with prostate cancer with brutal honesty, offering men everywhere a mirror and a message: Get checked. Start early. Don’t wait.
The seed for the book was planted decades ago, when Ceasar was just 35 years old—far younger than the typical age doctors recommend men begin prostate screenings. It was a simple conversation with a man on his mail route, a retired painter named Mr. Johnson, that changed everything. Johnson asked him a question most men avoid: “Do you get your physical every year?” When Ceasar admitted he didn’t, Johnson pressed him. You have insurance. Use it. Get checked. Stay alive. And with that nudge, Norman made an appointment—and got his first prostate exam.
He didn’t know it at the time, but that one decision—saying yes to a screening he could have easily skipped—would save his life.
For years, Ceasar committed to annual checkups. He was in shape, a runner, and careful about what he ate. But when his PSA levels—a key indicator in prostate health—began to rise in his early fifties, doctors took notice. After a biopsy confirmed early-stage prostate cancer, Ceasar was left with a critical choice: what now?
Instead of spiraling into panic, he researched. He sought multiple medical opinions. He leaned into his faith, praying with his pastor and asking the big questions. Eventually, he met Dr. Patrick Walsh of Johns Hopkins Hospital, one of the pioneers of the nerve-sparing prostatectomy—a surgical technique that helps preserve sexual and urinary function post-surgery. Walsh had performed over 3,000 of these procedures. Ceasar knew he was in expert hands.
But Cancer Winner is not just about the surgery. It’s about the mindset before, during, and after. It’s about how Ceasar didn’t allow the diagnosis to consume him mentally or emotionally. “I wasn’t going to let cancer have me,” he writes. And he means it.
The book doesn’t hide the uncomfortable details—like the dreaded prostate exams or the recovery period with a catheter taped to his leg. It’s not a sanitized version of survivorship. It’s real. But what elevates Cancer Winner is the balance of unfiltered truth with unshakable hope. Readers see a man who sets goals mid-recovery—like running a 5K—and follows through, not for a medal, but for proof: My life is still mine.
At its core, Cancer Winner is a rally cry for men—especially African American men, who face significantly higher risks of aggressive prostate cancer—to stop avoiding health conversations. Ceasar makes it clear: early detection is the difference between life and death. Through both storytelling and fact-sharing, he explains why prostate cancer can often go undetected, why symptoms are easy to dismiss, and why having a good doctor (and sometimes, a female doctor for comfort) can make all the difference.
The book also explores faith, family, and what Ceasar calls “the power of obedience.” When he followed Mr. Johnson’s advice to get checked, he didn’t realize that the simple act of obedience would start a chain reaction leading to early detection, successful treatment, and ultimately, this book. He gives credit to the people who walked with him—his wife, his pastor, his doctors—but also reminds readers that you are responsible for your health. “No one else is going to make those appointments for you,” he says.
What’s most refreshing about Cancer Winner is that it’s not written to impress—it’s written to help. It’s not about selling a miracle or preaching from a pedestal. It’s a personal, grassroots guide to surviving prostate cancer from someone who’s been through it, someone who had every excuse to ignore it—and didn’t.
Norman Ceasar’s story is already changing lives, and Cancer Winner is poised to become a powerful tool in the hands of families, support groups, and anyone facing a health crisis. It’s the kind of book that makes men think twice about skipping their check-up. It’s the kind of book that says, “This could be you—and you can survive.”
Now cancer-free for over 19 years, Ceasar spends his days enjoying retirement, mentoring others, and staying active with his grandchildren. He does not run anymore but takes long walks now. He still advocates. And he’s not done.
“Cancer is not always a death sentence,” Ceasar says. “It doesn’t have to own you. But you have to act. You have to speak up. You have to face it.”
With Cancer Winner, Norman Ceasar isn’t just telling his story. He’s rewriting the way we talk about men’s health—one honest, fearless page at a time.
