Dave Fogel discloses prostate surgery

Dave Fogel

Chicago radio personality Dave Fogel has revealed that he will undergo prostate cancer surgery Friday. He said he hopes to be back on the air right away.

Fogel, 56, hosts mornings on WJMK FM 104.3, the CBS Radio classic hits station known as K-Hits.

In a Facebook post Tuesday, Fogel said he was diagnosed before Thanksgiving and decided to go public in order to encourage other men to seek screening through a prostate specific antigen (PSA) blood test. “They caught mine early because of one,” he said. “Early detection is the key.”

Fogel said he will be off the air Friday but expects to broadcast from his home starting next week and will continue until he can return to the studio.

A familiar voice on Chicago radio since 1996, Fogel worked at classic rock WLUP FM 97.9, hot adult-contemporary WTMX FM 101.9 and classic hits WLS FM 94.7 before joining K-Hits in 2012. He has hosted mornings there since January 2013.

A second-generation broadcaster, he’s the son of former ’60s radio personality and Hollywood television actor Jerry Fogel.

Here is the text of Fogel’s Facebook post:

OK, here goes. My boss, (who's also a good friend) encouraged me to tell my "story" on the radio. Tomorrow I will, but I'm starting here first. I really hesitate because I don't want anybody to feel sorry for me and I don't want any special attention. But, I also know that I may be able to help other men if I share.

Before Thanksgiving I was diagnosed with prostate cancer. I'M GONNA BE FINE! As I told my kids, I'll still walk my daughter down the aisle-someday, and I'll play many many more rounds of golf with my son!

I won't be on-the-air Friday, that's when I'm having the surgery. BUT, the radio station put a microphone in my house! I'll be broadcasting from home next week and until I can come back to the studios for work!

What guys need to know: get a "PSA test"! It's a simple blood test-that's it. The awareness starts there! Easy! They caught mine early because of one. Early detection is the key.