Deion Sanders Says He Considers Himself Cancer-Free One Year After Bladder Surgery

Colorado Buffaloes football coach Deion Sanders said he considers himself cancer-free one year after surgery to remove a malignant bladder tumor. Sanders underwent the procedure using the Intuitive Da Vinci robotic system, which also reconstructed his bladder with a section of intestine.

He visited the system for a tutorial after the operation and described it as his "time machine" that sped his recovery.

"I consider myself cancer-free," Sanders told The Associated Press. " Sanders missed Colorado's summer 2025 football camps while receiving cancer treatments. The Buffaloes finished that season with a 3-9 record after reaching a bowl game the prior year.

A routine CT scan in spring 2025 detected the mass. Sanders was referred to the University of Colorado Anschutz, where he met Dr. Janet Kukreja, director of urologic oncology at the CU Cancer Center and UCHealth University of Colorado Hospital.

The tumor had not reached the muscle layer but carried a 50-50 chance of recurring or progressing. Sanders, who turns 59 later this summer, recalled walking with drainage bags last June and said the robotic approach left him without visible scars. He credited the technology with returning him to full activity this offseason.