Deion Sanders was diagnosed with an aggressive form of non-muscle invasive bladder cancer in April 2025.
He opted for surgery to remove and reconstruct his bladder instead of undergoing 36 weeks of chemotherapy.
Following the procedure, Sanders has been declared cancer-free and has returned to coaching the Colorado Buffaloes.
Colorado Buffaloes head coach Deion Sanders hopes his openness about battling cancer inspires others to take charge of their health and give themselves a fighting chance.
‘I want everybody to understand you can make it, man,’ Sanders said Tuesday, Sept. 23, during segment on Good Morning America. ‘We all got somethin’ we fightin’. Who out there right now ain’t fighting somethin’? It may not be cancer, but it’s somethin’. But you can overcome it. We can do this.’
The Hall of Famer discussed his bladder cancer diagnosis, the procedure he had to undergo and a renewed mission to share his story.
‘You know how many people’s going through this foolishness?’ Sanders said. ‘But men never talk about stuff like this. We hide it because we want to be big, strong, and massive, and not vulnerable. No, man. This is real. This is what I’m dealing with.’
In April 2025, Sanders was diagnosed with bladder cancer during a routine CAT scan. The diagnosis revealed that he had non-muscle invasive bladder cancer, which is considered an aggressive form of the disease and has a 50% recurrence rate.
Sanders said he was presented with two options: undergoing 36 weeks of chemotherapy or having his bladder removed. After considering both options, he chose to proceed with the surgery nine days later.
‘I ain’t waiting. I ain’t sitting back on the curb waiting to go slowly but surely do whatever’s gonna happen,’ Sanders said.
Doctors reconstructed Sanders’ bladder using a portion of his intestine. The procedure was challenging and left him in significant pain. However, afterwards, he has since been declared cancer-free. Now, Sanders is back on the sidelines, coaching the Buffaloes, who are 2-2 this season.