Football Legend Terry Bradshaw, 76, Sees Stunning Comeback: How His Wife’s Lifesaving Push to Get Him to the Doctor Before Symptoms Worsened Helped Him Defeat Cancer Twice in One Year

In the 1970s, Bradshaw dominated the gridiron and became a multi-time Super Bowl champion. He became a Professional Football Hall of Famer in 1989 and was inducted again into the National Football Foundation Hall of Fame in 1996. In recent years, he’s become a staple during the National Football League weekly games as a commentator.

Away from the spotlight, subtle symptoms would turn into notable health issues. Bradshaw’s wife Tammy encouraged him to stay on top of his health. In 2022, she encouraged Bradshaw to go for a routine checkup which potentially saved his life.

“We went to the doctor for just a checkup, and the doctor said we need to do a checkup because there’s some blood in your urine. It’s microscopic, and he said you’ve got bladder cancer, and here’s what we’re going to do to treat it,” Bradshaw explained.

Bladder cancer develops when cells that make up the urinary bladder grow and eventually become tumors. Common symptoms include frequent or painful urination or blood in urine.

“I’ve done six weeks of treatment, so I go back every six months for preventative treatment because bladder cancer spreads fast,” Bradshaw said.

The football legend began having spasms in his neck, which caused him great pain. He went to the doctor, who performed an MRI imaging scan.

“They found a mass under my left jaw. After a biopsy, they found Merkle cell skin cancer. It was the first stage, and they took 27 lymph nodes out. This one has been the worst one because I’m still a little sore,” Bradshaw explained.

Merkel Cell Carcinoma is an aggressive and rare type of skin cancer.

For many years, chemotherapy was the only option available as a treatment for metastatic and advanced disease. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has since granted accelerated approval to the immunotherapy drug retifanlimab-dlwr (brand name Zynyz) for metastatic or recurrent locally advanced Merkel cell carcinoma. Immunotherapy uses the body’s immune system to fight cancer.

“I am cancer-free, but I have to continue to go back for preventative treatment,” Bradshaw said.

Treatment Options for Merkel Cell Carcinoma

Merkel cell carcinoma is an aggressive and rare type of skin cancer that usually appears as a single, painless, flesh-colored, or bluish-red nodule, often on your face, head, neck, and arms (skin exposed to sunlight).

It tends to grow quickly and has a high rate of metastatic disease.

The lesions are usually smaller than 20 mm at the time of diagnosis, and most cases show rapid tumor growth in a few months.

It usually occurs in elderly patients, in chronically sun-exposed areas, or in patients with a weak immune system, such as transplant recipients, patients with lymphoproliferative neoplasms (disease of the lymphatic system), or patients with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).

WATCH: How to perform a skin check using the ABCDE method

The estimated five-year overall survival rate for people with distant metastatic MCC is 14%.

Surgery is the initial treatment for most cases of MCC. The goal of surgical treatment is to resect (remove) the whole lesion with margins of 1 -2 cm.

Radiotherapy also plays an important role in the treatment of MCC and may be considered as primary therapy in patients who are not candidates for surgery.

The use of radiotherapy after surgery (known as adjuvant radiotherapy) remains controversial. It appears to increase local tumor control but has no significant impact on tumor-related overall survival.

Coping With a Bladder Cancer Diagnosis

Bladder cancer is the sixth-most common type of cancer overall in the United States, though it is the fourth-most common for men.

Your bladder is a hollow, muscular, balloon-shaped organ that expands as it fills with urine. The bladder is a vital component of the urinary system.

WATCH: Understanding Bladder Cancer Symptoms

Bladder cancer develops when cells that make up the urinary bladder start to grow and eventually develop into tumors. Smoking is a leading risk factor for this disease, with smokers being three times

Symptoms of bladder cancer may include:

• Frequent urination
• Painful urination
• Flank pain (around the sides of your body)
• Urgency
• Blood in Urine

Bladder Cancer Treatment

Bladder cancer can be treated in various ways, but your doctor will consider several factors to determine the best treatment. Where the cancer is inside your body and if it has spread are some factors doctors look at before finalizing your treatment plan.

Surgery for bladder cancer often offers the best chance for a cure. There are various surgical options depending on the location of your bladder cancer.

For patients with non-muscle invasive bladder cancer, treatment will most likely consist of transurethral resection of visible bladder tumor (TURBT). During this procedure, the surgeon gently inserts a surgical instrument containing a camera into the urethra and pushes it upward until it reaches the bladder.

Once at the bladder, the instrument is used to remove all the tumors that the surgeon can see on camera. Most patients can leave the hospital on the same day, but some may need to stay longer, depending on the extent of tissue removal required.

WATCH: Treating Late-Stage Bladder Cancer

If the surgeon and pathologist determine that more tissue needs to be removed, additional surgery may be performed four to six weeks later.

Depending on the aggressiveness of your tumor, cystoscopy (a procedure to see inside the bladder and urethra) will be required to check the area once a year or as frequently as every few months for the first few years after treatment. This is combined with routine imaging of the urinary tract.

Chemotherapy is usually recommended before cystectomy or the total or partial removal of the bladder. Giving chemotherapy prior, or “neoadjuvant,” has been shown in large trials to improve survival in bladder cancer.

Other options to treat bladder cancer may include immunotherapy or targeted therapy.

A relatively new Food and Drug Administration-approved immunotherapy and chemotherapy combination has shown promise for people diagnosed with metastatic bladder cancers who cannot receive cisplatin-based treatment. The unique combination is enfortumab vedotin (also known as Padcev) and pembrolizumab (known as Keytruda). In a study of the combination, the new treatment achieved a response in 64.5% of the patients.

How to Cope When a Spouse Is Diagnosed With Cancer

Bradshaw readily admits his wife plays a crucial role in his health and ongoing cancer treatments by offering support and encouraging him to stay on top of his checkups.

After a cancer diagnosis, emotions may run the gamut, and grappling with your feelings isn’t easy. While coping with caring for a loved one battling cancer, the spouse must also adjust to a new normal. Feelings ranging from anxiety, sadness, anger, regret, and more may linger—however, healthy ways to cope.

• Talk to a therapist and share feelings you’re going through
• Have an open conversation with your spouse about the diagnosis
• Research the disease and learn about available treatment options
• Join a support group or connect with others who have gone through, or are going through, the same experience
• Spend time with your spouse and have consistent conversations about how you both are feeling

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