The Denver Broncos announced on Monday that linebacker Alex Singleton underwent successful surgery to treat testicular cancer on Friday.
The 31-year-old was diagnosed earlier last week after the results of a random drug test flagged health officials of various indicators of cancer. The team said Singleton is recovering and team doctors are confident he’ll be able to return to the field in the coming weeks, pending results of additional tests.
“Our No. 1 priority is Alex’s health and well-being, and we are grateful it appears the cancer was caught early,” the team said in a statement. “Alex and his family have our unwavering support as we look forward to welcoming him back on the field soon.”
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Born in Thousand Oaks, California, Singleton is in his fourth year with the Broncos. He previously played three years with the Philadelphia Eagles and was on various practice teams before that.
Testicular cancer, when diagnosed and treated early, has a survival rate of 95 to 99%, as long as it doesn’t spread to vital organs, according to the American Cancer Society. It’s also not uncommon to be found in younger men and even teen boys. It’s most common between ages 15 and 34. One in 250 men will develop testicular cancer in their lifetime, and around 600 people die of it each year in the U.S., according to the Testicular Cancer Awareness Month.
