Ryne Sandberg’s Death Shines Light on Aggressive Prostate Cancer

Ryne Sandberg, the Hall of Fame second baseman for the Chicago Cubs, has died after the return of his metastatic prostate cancer. He was 65.   

We are deeply saddened by the passing of Hall of Famer Ryne Sandberg.

The beloved Cubs second baseman was a five-tool model of consistency in the 1980s and early ’90s, making 10 consecutive All-Star teams and winning 9 straight Gold Glove awards.

On June 23, 1984, a national TV… pic.twitter.com/KuCazvlnj2

— MLB (@MLB) July 29, 2025

Sandberg was first diagnosed with metastatic prostate cancer in January 2024. He received chemotherapy and radiation treatments and was declared cancer free in August 2024. His cancer returned within four months after it had spread to other organs. 

Sandberg’s story is a reminder of how quickly the disease can turn deadly once it spreads. 

Jingsong Zhang, MD, PhD

“If a patient recurs within three years of initial treatment, especially within one year, we know the cancer was probably not curable,” explained Jingsong Zhang, MD, PhD, a medical oncologist and interim vice chair of the Genitourinary Oncology Department at Moffitt Cancer Center. “It has already spread before we can detect it.” 

Roughly 1 in 3 prostate cancer patients will experience a recurrence after surgery or radiation. When it happens early, it’s a sign the disease was never contained.  

Few Symptoms Until It’s Advanced 

Men with early or even metastatic cases of prostate cancer rarely present symptoms. 

“Patients often have no symptoms at all,” Zhang said. “It’s picked up during a routine PSA screening.” 

If there are signs, they are often subtle. Patients might experience frequent urination or trouble emptying the bladder. Occasionally patients, particularly for those without PSA screening, may be diagnosed with advanced prostate cancer in the bone after presenting with symptoms like back pain. 

Once prostate cancer spreads — most commonly to the bones — it is considered incurable. Treatments then focus on slowing down the disease and managing side effects of systemic therapy.  

Androgen deprivation therapy, which lowers testosterone levels through medication or surgery, is the initial standard treatment. But as the cancer grows, patients may begin to experience cancer-related pain. 

“After failing multiple lines of therapies, patients typically die from bone marrow failure due to widespread bone metastases,” Zhang said. “Patients become transfusion dependent. They develop progressive pain. That’s a very common end-stage scenario.” 

New Treatments Offer Hope — But Not a Cure 

Androgen deprivation therapy is still the most effective treatment for metastatic prostate cancer. It cuts off testosterone production, which prostate cancer relies on to grow. It can cause fatigue, hot flashes, mood swings, bone loss and muscle loss.  

A new development in treatment is called targeted radioligand therapy. It uses radioactive molecules to deliver radiation directly to cancer cells that express a marker called PSMA. 

“It’s like a liquid radiation,” Zhang said. “The chemical will go to every cancer cell that expresses the PSMA marker and then release the radiation inside the tumor. It’s a much safer and more effective way to treat metastatic prostate cancer than the traditional external beam radiation. 

Another promising treatment is T-cell engagers — antibodies that connect immune cells directly to tumor cells. These therapies are currently being tested in phase 3 clinical trials. 

“They bring the T cells to the cancer,” Zhang said. “The early safety data is good. Much less toxic than CAR T-cell therapy.” 

But even with new treatments on the horizon, the reality hasn’t changed. “There are a lot of new treatments,” Zhang explained. “But we don’t have a cure.” 

Early Detection Is Key 

According to the American Cancer Society, 1 in 8 men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer during their lifetime. More than 313,000 cases are expected to be diagnosed in 2025. 

As prostate cancer often develops with no symptoms, regular screenings matter, especially for men with a high risk. 

“Before age 70, particularly if they have a positive family history or are African American, patients should be talking to their doctor about screening,” Zhang said.