Queens, NY – Steve Lavin will undergo surgery for prostate cancer and is expected to resume coaching the St. John's men's basketball team after a recovery period, the school said Wednesday.
Lavin will have surgery Thursday at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York. He announced on April 8 that he was diagnosed with an early stage of the disease last fall.
The 47-year-old coach said in a statement that he was afforded a lot of time to research his options because the disease was detected early.
"After weighing treatment options with the experts at Sloan we have decided surgery is the best path to take for my particular prostate cancer condition," said Lavin. "We are confident that this course of treatment will lead to a cancer-free life."
Lavin continued his normal coaching duties for more than a year while pursuing a doctor-recommended course of active surveillance on his cancer, but changed his treatment path to include surgery.
Lavin guided the Red Storm to a 21-12 overall record last season, including a 12-6 mark in the talent-rich Big East, and took them to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since their vacated appearance in 2002.
The Red Storm earned a reputation for getting big wins, including a 15-point upset of Duke in January. They had a six-game win streak in February that included a victory over eventual NCAA champion Connecticut.
Lavin is active in Coaches vs. Cancer and The V Foundation for Cancer Research.
