Remembering beloved ‘Leave It to Beaver’ actor John Eyman, who has died at the age of 76 after battling prostate cancer.
Former child actor John Eyman, best known for guest starring on “Leave It to Beaver,” died on Friday, Nov. 21, a representative confirmed. He was 76 years old.
Publicist Harlan Boll confirmed to USA TODAY that Aiman died of prostate cancer at his home in Mukilteo, Washington. Aimene found out about her cancer diagnosis in September.
According to the American Cancer Society, prostate cancer is the second most common cancer in men, affecting 1 in 8 men in the US. In May 2025, it was revealed that former President Joe Biden had been diagnosed by his office with an “aggressive” form of prostate cancer, drawing attention to the disease, which is diagnosed in hundreds of thousands of American men each year.
Here’s what you need to know about prostate cancer.
How common is prostate cancer?
The National Cancer Institute says prostate cancer accounts for about 15.4% of all new cancer cases and is estimated to account for 313,780 cases in 2025.
“I think it’s something that a lot of men don’t talk about,” Dr. Samuel Haywood, a urologist specializing in prostate cancer, told USA TODAY when former Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin revealed that he had surgery for prostate cancer in 2024. “Men can be very apathetic, and they don’t like to talk about their health issues.”
What are the symptoms of prostate cancer?
According to the Cleveland Clinic, symptoms of prostate cancer include:
- Frequent, sometimes urgent, need to urinate, especially at night
- weak urine flow or flow that starts and stops
- pain or burning while urinating
- loss of bladder control
- loss of bowel control
- painful ejaculation and erectile dysfunction
- blood in semen or urine
- pain in the lower back, hip, or chest
All men are at risk, but according to the CDC, “the older the man, the greater the chance of developing prostate cancer.”
The CDC says men who have a family history of prostate cancer also have an increased risk. African American men are more likely than other men to get prostate cancer, are more than twice as likely to die from it, and get the disease at a younger age than other men, often with advanced stages of cancer when they are diagnosed.
Prostate Cancer Diagnosis and Treatment
While about 1 in 44 men will die from prostate cancer, according to the American Cancer Society, most men with the disease do not die from it.
According to the National Cancer Institute, the 5-year relative survival rate in non-metastasized prostate cancer is 97.9%. According to the Mayo Clinic, the survival rate for prostate cancer that has metastasized and spread to other parts of the body is about 38%.
According to the Cleveland Clinic, other treatment options in managing the disease may include surgery, radiation therapy, hormone therapy, chemotherapy, and immunotherapy.
Contributing: Anna Kauffman, James Powell
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