Joseph Wayne Singleton expected a routine physical to confirm that he was healthy. Instead, the appointment uncovered prostate cancer when the Louisiana musician was only 33, leading to treatment that he credits with saving his life.

Singleton, now 45 and living in Opelousas, regularly underwent exams required to maintain his commercial driver’s license. His wife believed those checkups were not thorough enough and urged him to schedule a more comprehensive physical.

Singleton approached the appointment intending to reassure his wife and prove that he was in perfect shape. He had no symptoms suggesting that a serious disease was developing.

Although Singleton was considered too young for routine prostate cancer screening, his doctor ordered a prostate-specific antigen blood test, commonly called a PSA test. Singleton said the physician could not explain what prompted that decision.

“He couldn’t explain what made him do that, but he did,” Singleton told Fox News Digital.

The test showed that Singleton’s PSA levels were extremely high. A biopsy followed, and the results confirmed that he had prostate cancer.

“It was totally unexpected,” he said. “No symptoms.”

Singleton received treatment at UT MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas. He said doctors there had never encountered prostate cancer in someone so young.

He underwent a prostatectomy to remove his prostate. Singleton believes his relatively young age helped him achieve what he described as a “miraculous” recovery after the operation.

“A couple of weeks after having the prostatectomy, I was back on airplanes flying across the country doing shows with my band,” he said. “It wasn't as bad as it possibly could have been.”

Singleton is the frontman of The Urban Kreyol Band, and music remained part of his life after treatment. The experience also forced him to wrestle with why the diagnosis had happened to him.

“By the grace of God, I'm here now,” Singleton reflected. “It was quite an eye-opener. It made me question myself ... a lot of ‘why me?'”

Singleton said he eventually found purpose in what happened. His public platform as a musician now gives him an opportunity to encourage others to pay attention to their health and consider screening when appropriate.

“I came to the conclusion that because of the platform that I have, being a musician, that maybe it was meant for me to be an advocate,” he said. “I'm having people reach out to me from all across the country [who are] finding out about my story ... and I think it's very important.”

Singleton believes the outcome could have been far worse if the disease had not been detected early. His goal is to help other people avoid facing a more advanced diagnosis.

“This could have turned out so much worse had I not gotten tested early,” he said. “I hate to think what could have happened.”

Current guidelines do not recommend routine prostate cancer screening for younger men without symptoms. Robert Smith, Ph.D., senior vice president of cancer screening at the American Cancer Society in Atlanta, Georgia, said procedures vary depending on the patient.

Smith said most organizations agree that clinicians should discuss the benefits, limitations and possible harms of screening, diagnosis and treatment with men rather than directly recommending screening. Those risks can include overdiagnosis, overtreatment, urinary incontinence and erectile dysfunction.

Recommendations for stopping screening also vary, generally ranging from ages 69 to 75 or when life expectancy is less than 10 years. Suggested screening frequency ranges from annual testing to testing every two to four years.

Guidelines advise men at higher risk, including Black men and those with a family cancer history, to begin more frequent screening between ages 40 and 45. Smith said evidence increasingly indicates that screening is more effective at reducing prostate cancer deaths than previously believed.

Prostate cancer screening is designed for men who do not have symptoms. Men experiencing changes in urination, blood in the urine or semen, or persistent back or hip pain should seek prompt medical evaluation, according to experts.

Smith said there is no guaranteed way to prevent prostate cancer because major risk factors such as age, race and family history cannot be changed. Research suggests that healthy eating, weight management, regular exercise, avoiding tobacco and limiting alcohol may help lower risk.

“These are behaviors that not only reduce the risk of cancer, but also cardiovascular disease and diabetes,” Smith said. He also noted that research examining sexual activity and prostate cancer risk has produced mixed results.

For Singleton, the unexpected test changed the course of his life and gave him a new mission alongside his music. “If I could help prevent somebody else from going through what I might have gone through, worse than what I went through, that's the main goal.”