Deion Sanders announces he’s been cured of bladder cancer

BOULDER, Colo. (NBC, KYMA/KECY) - University of Colorado head football coach Deion Sanders held a press conference Monday to release some good news about a serious health diagnosis.

Sanders revealed he had been diagnosed with bladder cancer. However, his oncologist says he underwent a procedure to remove his bladder and construct a new one, and he is now cancer free.

Sanders, speaking very frankly, says he is now learning to live with the fallout of this treatment which involves incontinence, something he was aware of when he made the decision to go forward with the treatment.

The cancer he suffered from could have been much more dire if it had not been caught when it was.

"The bad side of this cancer is, you know, if it does progress to the muscle, the rate of metastasis is about 50%. Only about 10% of people live five years, even with our current medical treatment, if it metastasized. So, you know, very lucky to have found it at this stage where it is still, I could say the word cure, because I don't, I don't use that word lightly as a cancer doctor. And I think you know there's a lot of patients where we don't have that same conversation."

Dr. Janet Kukreja, oncologist

Sanders thanked his doctor and his family for helping him through this ordeal and says he is ready to once again focus on football.

"I built myself back up to where I'm able. I'm strong, I'm ready. I'm still probably about 12 pounds down. I'm gonna get that right, and I'm fill these overalls up like no other. But it has been a tremendous journey, and I'm truly thankful that God, God is so good, God is so good. You have no idea...you have no idea how good God has been for me to be here."

Deion Sanders