Overview
- A routine CT scan last spring found a mass on Sanders’ bladder, leading to referral to the University of Colorado Anschutz and a malignant, very-high-risk diagnosis.
- Surgeons led by Dr. Janet Kukreja performed a robotic radical cystectomy followed by robotic reconstruction that uses a section of intestine to function as a new bladder.
- Sanders told the Associated Press that he “considers” himself cancer-free a year after surgery and says the robotic approach sped his recovery and hospital discharge.
- Medical reports note the tumor had not invaded the bladder muscle but carried roughly a 50-50 chance of recurrence or progression, so ongoing surveillance remains necessary.
- The operation is done by a small number of U.S. surgeons, and Sanders has used his recovery and Men’s Health Awareness Month to raise awareness of this less invasive surgical option and its impact on his ability to resume coaching.