Prostate cancer is on Ken Miller's mind lately for reasons other than his own medical history.

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Within the past week, the Saskatchewan Roughriders' head coach discovered that his brother Jim, of Vancouver, Wash., had been diagnosed with the disease. Miller underwent eight weeks of successful treatment for prostate cancer in 2002.

Miller's bout with cancer was not widely known until Wednesday, when he was asked a health-related question during a Grey Cup media conference featuring himself and Alouettes head coach Marc Trestman.

Upon hearing the question, posed by Perry Lefko of sportsnet.ca, Miller said: "Oh, shoot ...," and collected his thoughts for a few moments before disclosing some details about the treatment he received seven years ago - shortly before he began working as an assistant on the Toronto Argonauts' coaching staff.

"I really didn't want to answer the question," Miller said Thursday. "I think I even growled a little bit in reluctance. But I think if there is anything good that came out of that question, maybe it heightens the awareness of prostate cancer and prostatitis and the need for middle-aged men to get themselves tested so they know what's going on."

The response was both typical and uncharacteristic of Miller.

A private man, he is invariably candid when asked about matters pertaining to the Roughriders.

"I just have this habit of when I'm asked a question, I give the information," Miller said. "I figure there must be some reason that the question is asked and some good will come from it.

"Really, that's what Perry told me after (the media conference) - that regardless of the sensitivity to me, it was a good question based on how more people will hear about (prostate cancer) and become more educated. From his point of view, it was a good question. From my point of view, it was a question I would rather not have been asked at that point."

Yet, he did answer the question, as opposed to uttering what would have been his first "no comment" since being named the Roughriders' head coach in February of 2008.

"It was very, very close," Miller said. "It's a private matter."

Until Wednesday, only the people closest to Miller were aware that he had confronted prostate cancer.

"I've had some players come up to me and say, 'I've learned some things about you that I didn't know,' that being one of them," Miller said.

At the time of his diagnosis, Miller was poised to join the Argonauts' coaching staff. His arrival in Toronto was delayed while he underwent proton beam radiation treatment at Loma Linda University Medical Centre in Loma Linda, Calif.

Miller emerged with a clean bill of health and a different outlook on life.

Regina Leader-Post