Life After Cancer and Focusing On Family
- Football legend Terry Bradshaw, 77, began his broadcast career in the mid-1980s after wrapping up his career on the field. He’s eyeing retirement in the coming years, where he can spend more time with family.
- Bradshaw credits his wife for helping him detect his cancer diagnosis early, with her urging him to get regular checkups. He faced both bladder cancer and Merkel Cell, an aggressive type of rare skin cancer. Though “cancer-free,” Bradshaw still undergoes regular checkups.
- Bladder cancer develops when cells that make up the urinary bladder grow and eventually become tumors. Smoking is a leading risk factor for this disease. Common symptoms include frequent or painful urination or blood in the urine.
- SurvivorNet experts say surgery for bladder cancer often offers the best chance for a cure.
- 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.
- After a cancer diagnosis, it’s essential for the couple going through the cancer journey together to communicate and express their feelings. Joining a support group or seeking professional therapy may also be helpful.
“I told my wife before I left the room a while ago, I’m sitting there, I said, ‘I’ve got two years left at FOX,’” Bradshaw shared on “Fox NFL Sunday.”
Bradshaw’s legacy on the field is undeniable. In the 1970s, he led the Pittsburgh Steelers to four Super Bowl victories, earning his place in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1989 and the National Football Foundation Hall of Fame in 1996. But in recent years, fans have come to know a different side of him—one shaped by family, vulnerability, and health.
In 2020, “The Bradshaw Bunch” gave viewers a glimpse into life at home in Oklahoma, where Bradshaw’s larger-than-life personality met the everyday rhythms of marriage and fatherhood. The show highlighted his deep bond with wife Tammy and their daughters, as well as the balancing act between football fame and family life.
Behind the scenes, however, subtle health symptoms began to surface. It was Tammy who urged him to take action.
In 2022, she encouraged Bradshaw to go in for a routine checkup—a decision that may have saved his life.
‘There’s Blood In Your Urine’
Bradshaw’s checkup helped doctors get answers to Bradshaw’s unusual bathroom habits.
“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 the urine.
“I’ve done six weeks of treatment, so I go back every six months for preventative treatment because bladder cancer spreads fast,” Bradshaw told WFLD News.
The football legend began having spasms in his neck, which caused him great pain. He went to the doctor, who performed an MRI scan.
“They found a mass under my left jaw. After a biopsy, they found Merkel 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.
Helping him through his cancer journey was his faith.
“My faith is what I leaned on, and I’ve got an awesome wife,” Bradshaw explained.
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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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