Overview
- Sanders told The Associated Press on Monday that he considers himself cancer‑free, a year after a robotic radical cystectomy that removed his cancerous bladder and reconstructed a new bladder from a section of his intestine.
- The surgery was performed with the Intuitive Da Vinci robotic system by Dr. Janet Kukreja at UCHealth, a technique surgeons say is less invasive than open surgery and can shorten hospital stays and speed recovery.
- Medical teams reported the tumor did not invade the bladder muscle but was judged 'very high risk' with roughly a 50% chance of recurrence or progression, so clinicians recommend continued follow‑up and monitoring.
- Sanders missed Colorado’s summer camps during treatment last year and the team went 3‑9, but he now appears fitter, is overseeing offseason work and is expected to be available for fall camp.
- Using his platform, Sanders is urging men to get screened and speaking publicly about the severe symptoms he experienced and the options robotic surgery provided, while Kukreja is noted as one of a small group of U.S. surgeons who perform this robotic reconstruction.