Football Hall of Famer Randy Moss, 48, Gearing Up for a Return to Football Sunday Coverage After Bile Duct Cancer Treatment

Since the announcement, Moss has kept a low profile on social media, staying mostly silent about his return after battling cancer.

Moss was diagnosed with bile duct cancer—a rare type of cancer that starts in the bile duct, described by the National Cancer Institute as a “network of tubes, called ducts, that connect the liver, gallbladder, and small intestine.”

Reflecting on how his diagnosis was discovered, Moss shared in a 16-minute Instagram Live last year, “It’s by the grace of god that my liver started acting up, and then my urine started being discolored.”

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Randygmoss (@randygmoss)

His experience highlights a challenge many cancer patients face: balancing work and health. Some are able to keep working through treatment, while others may need time away. Health experts say returning to work, when possible, can be beneficial—it helps patients regain a sense of routine and normalcy.

Randy Moss’ Cancer Journey

Moss is a two-time First-Team All-American who has played for the Oakland Raiders, New England Patriots, Tennessee Titans, San Francisco 49ers, and Minnesota Vikings.

During Moss’ Instagram Live video, he’s seen wearing a hoodie with “Team Moss” plastered across with the “o” substituted with a cancer ribbon.

Moss’ early warning signs of cancer began after noticing problems with his liver and seeing his urine discolored. The football Hall of Famer took his concerns to his doctor, who helped him get answers.

“I had to go in and have a stent put in my liver for the doctors to be able to look inside to find out where the cancer was,” Moss said.

Moss did not reveal the exact type of cancer he was diagnosed with. However, he noted he underwent a Whipple procedure, also called a pancreatoduodenectomy.  According to the National Institute of Health, this surgery is very complex, but its main objective is to remove tumors from the pancreas.

WATCH: Understanding the difference between liver and bile duct cancers.

Although a Whipple procedure can be used for the treatment of pancreatic cancer, Moss did not disclose his exact diagnosis.

Pancreatic cancer is more challenging to treat because symptoms usually don’t present until the cancer has spread or metastasized. Symptoms may include weight gain, back pain, and jaundice.

“I didn’t think I would ever be in a position like this, as healthy as I thought I was,” Moss said during his Instagram Live.

“Things took a turn for the worse, and I asked for my prayer warriors; I asked for my family to be able to surround me and put their hands on me through this trying time, and y’all best believe your boy came through.”

Moss’ treatment included chemotherapy and radiation.

Will Working During Treatment Be Helpful to My Cancer Journey?

Sometimes, a cancer diagnosis comes out of nowhere. Other times, early symptoms gradually become more noticeable, leading to the realization that a chronic health issue may be part of your life moving forward. In either case, a diagnosis can disrupt your daily routine, including your ability to work and support yourself or your family. Yet deciding whether to keep working during treatment isn’t always a quick or simple choice.

WATCH: Will my cancer diagnosis cost me my job?

“We always encourage people to continue to work if they can,” says Sarah Stapleton, a clinical social worker at Montefiore Medical Center. “I think it creates a sense of normalcy for patients.”

Stapleton explains that staying busy with work can help keep your mind off treatment and reduce constant worry. Cancer can also bring on feelings of isolation—but maintaining a work routine and interacting with coworkers may help ease that loneliness.

Before making any decisions, it’s important to talk with your doctor about whether working during treatment is right for you. Ask what your body can realistically handle to avoid interfering with your care. Fatigue is a common side effect of treatment, and it might affect your ability to perform your job as you did before.

Thankfully, workplace accommodations can help. Laurie Ostacher, a behavioral health clinician at Stanford Health Care, suggests that patients communicate openly with their employers about their needs when returning to work.

“Patients need to let their employer know [they’re] going to need some flexibility… Because there are going to be days when you’re not as energetic or feeling as well as on other days,” Ostacher explained.

Understanding Bile Duct Cancer

Bile duct cancer—also known as cholangiocarcinoma—is a rare but aggressive disease that quietly develops in the bile ducts. These ducts are essential for carrying bile, a digestive fluid, from the liver to the small intestine.

It’s important to understand that bile duct cancer and liver cancer are not the same. Liver cancer, typically hepatocellular carcinoma, starts in the liver’s cells. Bile duct cancer, on the other hand, targets the bile ducts that help the body digest and absorb nutrients. As the article explains:

“Liver cancer focuses on the liver’s cells, whereas bile duct cancer targets the pathways critical for bile excretion.”

WATCH: Live and Bile Duct Cancer Treatment Progress.

When the bile duct system is healthy, your body processes nutrients properly. But when part of that system is diseased, it can disrupt digestion and lead to serious health concerns.

There are two main types of bile duct cancer, based on where it appears:

• Intrahepatic (inside the liver)
• Extrahepatic (outside the liver)

Dr. Elliot Newman, chief of surgical oncology at Northwell Health Cancer Institute at Lenox Hill Hospital, explains:

“Bile duct cancers can also affect the bile duct system that runs from within the liver to outside the liver. So we have what are called intrahepatic cholangiocarcinomas—that’s bile duct cancer within the liver. And extrahepatic bile duct cancers, which are cholangiocarcinomas that are outside of the liver.”

Why Early Detection Is Difficult

Symptoms of bile duct cancer often don’t appear until the disease is advanced, making early diagnosis tricky.

“Unfortunately, bile duct cancers often don’t have symptoms. Patients usually seek medical assistance once symptoms appear. That usually means that the cancer has grown bigger and more advanced,” says Dr. Mariam F. Eskander, a surgical oncologist and assistant professor at Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey.

Common symptoms include:

• Jaundice (yellowing of the skin and eyes)
• Itching
• Pale or clay-colored stools (acholia)
• Dark urine (choluria)
• Abdominal pain
• Unexplained weight loss
• Fever
• Fatigue
• Night sweats
• Treatment and Prognosis

The sooner bile duct cancer is found, the better the treatment outlook.

The best approach depends on where the tumor is, how large it is, and whether the cancer has spread. Dr. Eskander emphasizes:

“When we consider bile duct cancer, it usually gets kind of swept under the same shingle as liver cancer, but it is not the same thing, and treatment approaches can be very different.”

Helpful Questions to Ask Your Doctor

• What specific risk factors do I have for developing liver or bile duct cancer?
• How often should I be screened for these cancers based on my risk level?
• Are there any lifestyle changes I can make to lower my risk or support my diagnosis?
• What treatment options are best for me?
• How much will my insurance cover, and what out-of-pocket costs should I expect?

Learn more about SurvivorNet's rigorous medical review process.

---