Overview
- Sanders told The Associated Press on Monday that he “considers” himself cancer‑free one year after surgery to remove his cancerous bladder.
- The operation was a robotic radical cystectomy with reconstruction using a section of Sanders’ intestine, performed with the Intuitive Da Vinci system under Dr. Janet Kukreja at UCHealth.
- Medical reports say the tumor had not invaded the bladder muscle but was labeled “very high risk” with about a 50‑50 chance of recurrence or progression, so routine follow‑up remains essential.
- Sanders missed Colorado’s summer camps during treatment last year but now appears fitter, is overseeing offseason work and is expected to be available for fall camp after helping rebuild the program following a 3‑9 season.
- He has used his experience to urge men to get screened and to highlight robotic surgery as a less‑invasive option, though only a small group of U.S. surgeons perform the full robotic removal and reconstruction and long‑term follow up is required.