January 28, 2011
THE CANADIAN PRESS
MONTREAL — Even though he knew his chance of recovery was high, Anthony Calvillo admits to feeling a bit of self-pity when he was diagnosed with thyroid cancer. But it didn’t last long.
“There might have been an hour where I felt sorry for myself but I could truly say that was the only hour where I sat back and had negative thoughts,” the star Montreal Alouettes quarterback told reporters Friday. “I knew from the beginning back in August that if this was cancer it was treatable, it was manageable, it wasn’t going to be life threatening.”
The 38-year-old Calvillo says he’s feeling great now after undergoing successful treatment for the disease and is ready to get back to the football field. He signed a two-year contract extension Friday.
It was after the team’s second straight Grey Cup win in November that the 17-year CFL veteran made the shocking announcement that he was having health problems.
A lesion was found on his thyroid during tests taken while he was in hospital after suffering a bruised sternum in a game in August.
He initially underwent surgery for the lesion in mid-December and test results revealed cancer cells. His thyroid was removed just a few days before Christmas and Calvillo underwent a single treatment of radioactive iodine therapy in mid-January.
“He’s completed all of his treatments, there aren’t any more expected,” said Als doctor Vincent Lacroix. “Anthony will require close follow-up for many years to come but in this type of cancer, the outcome is generally very good.” FULL STORY