Deion Sanders Had Bladder Removed After Cancer Diagnosis

Deion Sanders will return to the sidelines this fall after revealing a battle with bladder cancer. The University of Colorado head coach says he is now cancer free after having his bladder removed.  

“It’s been a tremendous journey,” Sanders said at a recent press conference alongside his oncology team.  

God is Good! pic.twitter.com/CFmncq3p00

— COACH PRIME (@DeionSanders) July 28, 2025

According to Sanders, he had no symptoms. The cancer was discovered during a workup for unrelated vascular issues. His oncologist called it a “very high-risk, non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer.”  

To prevent the cancer from spreading, Sanders opted to have his bladder removed. According to his team, doctors used a robot to help with the surgery called a neobladder, which involved creating a new bladder from part of his small intestine. 

Michael Poch, MD

“It sounds like he had a neobladder, which is often an excellent option for patients who are good candidates,” said Michael Poch, MD, a urologic oncologist at Moffitt Cancer Center. “If you have good kidney function, no disease in the urethra and you are willing to do self-catheterization if needed, it offers a good quality of life.” 

Bladder Reconstruction

What happens if your bladder is removed? Surgeons can rebuild a way for the body to store and release urine. Options include: 

• Urostomy: Urine drains through an opening in the belly into a bag outside the body. 

• Continent cutaneous urinary diversion: An internal pouch is created and emptied several times a day using a catheter. 

• Neobladder: A new bladder is made from part of your intestine and connected to your urethra, allowing the patient to urinate normally. 

New research from a national study that Moffitt was a part of shows that bladder removal doesn’t necessarily mean a lower quality of life. 

“There is a study in publication right now — the CISTO study — that found quality of life is pretty equivalent between patients who have their bladders removed and those who try to keep them,” Poch said. “It’s compelling data.”  

Warning Signs of Bladder Cancer 

The most common symptom of bladder cancer is blood in the urine, or hematuria.  

“Typically, when we see patients, they’ll present with blood in the urine,” Poch said. “Primary physicians will obtain yearly urinalyses. If there’s microscopic blood and we’re seeing persistent blood on that urinalysis, then we will evaluate further.” 

Other symptoms include frequent urination or pain while urinating.  

During the press conference, Sanders urged people to take their health seriously. There is no routine screening test for bladder cancer, meaning early detection depends on noticing symptoms and getting checked out. 

Who’s at Risk? 

According to the American Cancer Society, more than 80,000 Americans will be diagnosed with bladder cancer in 2025. It’s the fourth most common cancer among men. 

“Smoking is a predominant risk factor that we see. That gives you about a four times increased risk,” Poch said. “We’re seeing increased association with vaping as well, especially in the younger generation.” 

Poch notes that while family history can play a role, it’s hard to separate genetic risk from shared environmental exposures like smoking.  

Some of the rarer causes of bladder cancer include exposure to aniline dye in the textile industry. Agent orange has recently been shown to be a risk factor for bladder cancer in the veteran population.