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Seinfeld's Michael Richards Reveals Prostate Cancer Battle: 'I Would Have Been Dead in 8 Months' Without Surgery

excerpt repost: People Magazine, read full story here.

Seinfeld actor Michael Richards, 74, is opening up about a health scare that he says could have been the end for him.

In his upcoming memoir Entrances and Exits (out June 4) he writes about being diagnosed with prostate cancer in the summer of 2018, after a routine checkup showed high PSA levels. He was diagnosed with stage 1 prostate cancer.

"I thought, 'Well, this is my time. I'm ready to go,'" he tells PEOPLE, of receiving the news. "But then my son came to mind just a few seconds later and I heard myself saying, "I've got a 9-year-old and I'd like to be around for him. Is there any way I can get a little more life going?"

His doctor recommended surgery to remove the entire prostate after the biopsy didn't look good.

"It had to be contained quickly," he says. "I had to go for the full surgery. If I hadn't, I probably would have been dead in about eight months."

Coming face-to-face with his mortality was one of the reasons he decided to release his memoir. He also had plenty of material to work with.

"I had over 40 journals I’d kept over the years and wanted to do a full review of my life," he says. "I’m turning 75, so maybe wanting to do that is something that comes with being my age.” He adds, “I wanted to connect with feelings and memory. I’m surprised at how much I was able to remember.”

Click here to read the full story.