In an exclusive interview with 11Alive partners at the Atlanta Business Chronicle, Falcons' owner Arthur Blank revealed he has prostate cancer.
Blank, 73, said that after multiple visits with different cancer specialists and hospitals around the country, he has opted to have surgery later this month.
“For my age, I’m in fairly good shape,” Blank said. “So on the positive side, I’m a good candidate for surgery.”
PHOTOS: Arthur Blank
Blank said from all the tests, the doctors believe the cancer is contained and “removing the cancer physically is the best way to treat it.”
He expects it will take a couple of weeks to recover from surgery, so it would be equivalent to him taking a vacation. No other additional treatment -- radiation or chemotherapy or hormonal therapy -- is planned as of now.
Read the full Atlanta Business Chronicle report here. The Atlanta Falcons posted a statement Tuesday afternoon:
In December I was diagnosed with a treatable form of prostate cancer. Over the last several weeks Angie and I have visited a number of expert doctors and hospitals across the country to identify the best treatment options for me. I have chosen an aggressive approach that will include surgery and the overall prognosis is good. I’m looking forward to getting this behind me and continuing a very active lifestyle, my upcoming wedding, as well as continued active involvement in our businesses and philanthropic efforts for years to come.
Blank, the co-founder of The Home Depot, acquired the Falcons in 2002. He is also the owner of the new Major League Soccer team Atlanta United FC. Both the Falcons and the Atlanta United FC will play in the new Mercedes-Benz Stadium, which is being constructed in downtown Atlanta. The stadium is set to open in 2017.