After complete surgery to eliminate the bladder, the famous coach is now without cancer

After the announcement of the athlete of the renowned temple Deion Sanders, which he fought against bladder cancer, doctors share warning panels to be monitored.

Sanders, who is currently a football coach at the University of Colorado Boulder, spoke of his medical difficulties at a Monday press conference in Folsom Field in Boulder.

The former star of the NFL and the MLB, 57, appeared alongside his care team and his representatives of the University of Colorado Health (UC Health) and the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus (Cu Anschutz).

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Sanders received a diagnosis of “very high risk invasive bladder cancer”, but is now without cancer, according to a statement from his oncologist.

“We deleted the tumor. It was very high and invading the bladder wall,” said Dr. Janet Kukreja, urological director in Once of Cu Ashutz. “I am happy to announce that the results of the surgery are that it is cured of cancer.”

Head coach Deion Sanders of the University of Colorado talks about his trip beating the bladder cancer at a press conference at the Touchdown Club at the Folsom Field in Boulder, Colorado, July 28, 2025. (Getty Images)

The oncologist noted that the type of Sanders cancer has a very high rate of recurrence and progression.

The treatment of the disease in the bladder would require a long series of treatments over a period of three years, and there would be still 50% of cancer to return.

Cancer could also spread to the muscle, said the doctor, who occurs in about half of the cases.

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“Only around 10% of people live five years, even with our current medical treatment, if it metastasus,” she said.

With his care team, Sanders made the decision to withdraw a withdrawal from the bladder, in which the surgeons made a “move of the laparoscopic bladder assisted by full robot” and created a new bladder.

“It’s a new way of life. And it’s a learning curve for sure.”

“It is a laparoscopic surgery where we attach a robot to the patient, then we do all the maneuvers of the robot,” said Kukreja. “And then once the bladder comes out, we also take lymph nodes to make sure that it has not spread, then we make a new bladder using the own intestines (of the patient).”

“It’s a new way of life. And it’s a learning curve for sure.”

The former star of the NFL and the MLB, 57, appeared alongside his care team and his representatives of the University of Colorado Health (UC Health) and the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus (Cu Anschutz). (Getty Images)

Lauren Askevold, sports coach of the University of Colorado, shared that the tumor of the Sanders bladder had been inadvertently discovered during a computed tomography to monitor her heart health.

Sanders, who lost 25 pounds during his career against cancer, said he was grateful and urged others to be aware of the warning panels and consult a doctor.

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“It was a huge trip. It was difficult,” he said at the press conference. “Everyone is verified, because if it was not for me to have something else tested, they would not have tripped on this subject.”

“And be sure to go to good care. Because without wonderful people like that, I would probably not be seated here today, because it grew up so quickly.”

Sanders also talked about his difficulties in using a catheter and no longer having control of his bladder, noting that “it is a whole life change”.

“The blood in the urine in the absence of infection is never normal and must always be verified.”

“I know that many people are living what I go through and facing what I am faced with, and let’s stop ashamed of it-let’s keep it with front,” he said.

Sanders said he felt strong and ready to train again. “It was never in my mind, in my heart, that God would not allow me to coach again.”

“It was a huge trip. It was difficult,” Sanders said at the press conference. (Getty Images)

Kukreja noted that Sanders’ prospects are “very good”.

“We are just going to keep it on routine monitoring analyzes. Other than that, nothing else.”

Bladder cancer warning signs

Although Sanders said he had “no sign”, Kukreja stressed the importance that people were aware of the red flags for bladder cancer, which is the fourth most common cancer in men.

“The first signs are generally blood in the urine,” she said at the press conference. “The blood in the urine in the absence of infection is never normal and must always be verified.”

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Even in the absence of symptoms, Kukreja regularly recommends seeing a primary care doctor, eating well and refraining from smoking.

“The coach has never been a smoker, and one of the people who unfortunately obtained bladder cancer,” she said. “But it is also something that is very strongly associated with bladder cancer.”

The first signs of bladder cancer generally include blood in the urine. The less common signs include the strong impulses to urinate and frequent a urination with a slight discomfort which is not calm with current treatments.

Dr. Chad Ryan Ritch, MD, urological oncologist at the comprehensive Cancer Center Sylvester, which is part of the health system of the University of Miami, did not treat Sanders but shared contributions on the bladder cancer warning panels.

“The main sign is the presence of visible (or microscopic) blood in the urine, without pain and in the absence of infection or trauma,” he told Fox News Digital.

The less common signs, according to the doctor, include strong desires of urinating and frequenting urination with a slight discomfort which is not calm with current treatments.

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“These are known as symptoms of irritative interruptions,” noted Ritch, who is also an associate professor of urological oncology at the Institut Uhealth Desai Sethi Urology.

In advanced cases, some patients may undergo urinary obstruction with the blocking of the ureter, which connects the kidney to the bladder.

Sanders’ doctor stressed the importance that people are aware of any red flag for bladder cancer, which is the fourth most common cancer in men. (istock)

“This can present itself as pain in the flank and should not be ignored, especially if it occurs with blood in the urine and without other identifiable causes, such as infection or trauma,” said Ritch.

The doctor has reiterated that the most common cause of cancer of the urothelial bladder in the United States is smoking – “Thus, stopping and avoiding smoking is the best prevention.”

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“Chronic urinary tract infections and decades of bladder inflammation from instruments such as catheters can also cause bladder cancer,” added Ritch.

“The message to take away is that if you have these risk factors and you have visible or microscopic blood in the urine, it is important to see a doctor.”