Chad Bettis has received the news that every person diagnosed with cancer hopes to hear, he is cancer-free. During an interview on MLB Network Radio this morning, Bettis told the hosts Mike Ferrin and Jim Duquette that his doctor called him on Dec. 22 to give him the good news.
Bettis was initially diagnosed with testicular cancer in November after a self-examination revealed a growth. The growth, along with one of his testicles, was removed on Nov. 29, and at the time the surgeon was optimistic that the cancer had not spread. The follow-up tests have all been cleared, which led to the cancer-free declaration.
Bettis will continue to have blood tests every three to six months to ensure that the cancer has not returned. He has already returned to full workouts following the surgery and only missed two weeks of his offseason conditioning work. Bettis expects to be fully ready for spring training, where he may be one of most veteran pitchers in the Rockies rotation.
Bettis’ story is a great example of why self-examination is extremely important for cancer prevention. Testicular cancer is the most common from of cancer among young men 15-34 years old and if detected early, as Bettis’ was, can be quickly removed, preventing its spread to the rest of the body.