Travel guide author Rick Steves reveals prostate cancer diagnosis

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Guidebook author and PBS personality Rick Steves will take a break in his busy travel schedule to have surgery for prostate cancer.

Steves, 69, announced his diagnosis Wednesday night in a statement posted to social media, saying he will film two new TV shows in France before returning home to Washington state for a procedure in September at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center in Seattle.

“My doctor assures me that, if you’re going to get cancer, this is a good kind to get, and careful scans show no sign of it having spread,” Steves said in his post.

According to the American Cancer Society, about 1 in 8 men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer in their lifetime. Most cases are found in men 65 and older.

Steves, whose work also appears in the Toronto Sun and Postmedia, recently celebrated the 40th edition of his first book, “Europe Through the Back Door,” and is known for his prolific output of books, podcasts and episodes of “Rick Steves’ Europe.”

In typical Steves fashion, he is responding to the illness with optimism and gratitude.

“I’m looking forward to many more years of happy travels, exciting collaborations, and beautiful friendships,” Steves’s statement said. “Thank you for your love and support (and any “travel tips” you may have for me as I set off on this journey).”