Deion Sanders’ Journey with Bladder Cancer

At 57 years old, Deion Sanders, a two-time Super Bowl champion, is now living with a newly reconstructed bladder.

The head coach of the University of Colorado recently underwent surgery after being diagnosed with an aggressive type of bladder cancer when doctors found a tumor earlier this spring.

This surgery, known as neobladder reconstruction, involves using tissue from the patient’s small intestine. It’s a detailed process. Surgeons first remove the old bladder and then take about a foot and a half from the ileum, which is the final section of the small intestine.

Next, they open up one side of this segment of intestine so it can lay flat. After that, it’s folded over and stitched together, ultimately creating a new bladder that resembles a volleyball, as described by Dr. Max Kates, co-director of the Greenberg Bladder Cancer Institute at Johns Hopkins University.

Once done, the neobladder is connected to the kidneys and urethra. Dr. Janet Kukreja, who performed the robot-assisted surgery at the University of Colorado Cancer Center, highlighted how incredible the body is at adapting to such surgeries. Patients typically recover in just a few days.

One intriguing aspect is that since the neobladder is made from the patient’s own tissue, there’s no risk of rejection, which means patients don’t have to take immunosuppressant medications. Plastic, for instance, wouldn’t be suitable as it could cause rejection or complicate matters with bladder stones.

However, even though a reconstructed bladder works, it doesn’t quite operate the same way as the original. It doesn’t send signals to the brain to indicate when it’s time to go to the bathroom. Patients usually need to learn to adjust, gradually extending the time between bathroom visits for better control during the day. Unfortunately, many still experience leakage while sleeping.

During a recent press conference, Sanders addressed this challenge with humor, noting that he now “depends on the Depends,” much like his one-year-old grandson. “I know there’s a lot of people dealing with what I’m going through,” he remarked, urging people to shed any shame surrounding such issues.

Dr. Kates emphasized the importance of Sanders’ openness, noting how it resonated with his patients, allowing them to feel validated. Around 85,000 people in the U.S. are projected to be diagnosed with bladder cancer this year. Although the majority are men, women often present with more advanced and aggressive forms of the disease, sometimes mistaking warning signs for menstrual issues.

Sanders discovered his tumor during a routine checkup and stressed the significance of regular medical evaluations. “Please get yourself checked out,” he advised, reflecting on how a simple appointment dramatically changed his health trajectory.