A random NFL drug test led to a diagnosis of testicular cancer for Denver Broncos linebacker Alex Singleton, the player revealed Monday, after the test found elevated levels of the hormone human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) in his blood.
hCG is a marker for certain types of testicular cancer, says University of Colorado Cancer Center member Nicholas Cost, MD, and it led doctors to perform an ultrasound that showed a testicular tumor. On November 7, the day after playing in the Broncos’ Thursday-night victory over the Las Vegas Raiders, Singleton had surgery to remove the cancer.
“Thankfully, we believe the cancer was caught early with a great prognosis for me and my family,” Singleton wrote in a social media post. “While we are still awaiting some additional test results, I fully expect to return to the field in the coming weeks.”
We sat down with Cost, associate professor of urology in the University of Colorado Anschutz Department of Surgery, to learn more about testicular cancer and how it’s diagnosed and treated.