Cyclist Ivan Basso has withdrawn from the Tour de France after being diagnosed with testicular cancer. The 37-year-old will return to Italy to begin his treatment as soon as possible.
The shock diagnosis shows that no-one is immune to cancer, but Basso is by no means the first sportsman to face such a fight and he can take heart from the success of other athletes who have overcome the disease.
Lance Armstrong
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Now best known as a serial drugs cheat the American cyclist overcame cancer before his seven Tour de France wins. In 1996 at the age of 25 he was diagnosed with late-stage testicular cancer which had already spread to his brain, lungs and abdomen. Doctors gave him a less than 50 per cent chance of survival but secretly believed he had almost no hope. However, after surgery and several rounds of chemotherapy at Indiana University, using drugs that would not affect his lungs, he overcame the disease and founded Livestrong Foundation.
Bob Champion
The popular jump jockey was diagnosed with testicular cancer in 1979 at the height of his career. After undergoing surgery and chemotherapy he returned to horse racing and won the 1981 Grand National on Aldaniti, his comeback caught the imagination of the public and the pair won the BBC Sports Personality of the Year team award that year. In 1983 his story was made into a film, Champions, starring John Hurt. The same year he set up the Bob Champion Cancer Trust, which has raised millions of pounds for cancer research.
Jonas Gutierrez
The Newcastle and Argentina footballer first realised something was wrong after a collision with Arsenal defender Bacary Sagna in 2013 and was diagnosed with testicular cancer later that year, aged 30. He had surgery but the cancer returned in 2014 and he underwent chemotherapy. His battle against cancer was not made public until September 2014, but he was declared cancer free two months later. He returned to Newcastle and scored for the Magpies in the final game of the season but has now been released by the club.
John Hartson
Footballer John Hartson was diagnosed with testicular cancer that had spread to his brain and lungs in July 2009, a year after retiring from the game. The 34-year-old underwent emergency surgery on his brain and was in a critical condition in hospital with only a 50-50 chance of survival. But the former Arsenal forward pulled through and by Christmas that year was told the cancer had been "virtually eradicated" from his body after chemotherapy. He is now a TV pundit and has set up the John Hartson Foundation cancer charity.
Jimmy White
The snooker player was diagnosed in 1995 after a routine visit to his GP. He only mentioned the lump "as an afterthought", he later told the Daily Mail, but went under the knife within days of his visit. He was given the all clear after surgery and returned to action soon afterwards. "If I hadn't casually mentioned it to my GP I wouldn't be speaking to you – or anyone – now," he told the Mail.
Eric Shanteau
American swimmer Shanteau competed in the 2008 Olympics, weeks after discovering he had cancer. After setting a personal best in the 200m breaststroke, but missing out on a place in the final, the 24-year-old returned to the US to begin treatment. He elected to compete after being checked that the cancer was not spreading. His treatment was successful and he won an Olympic gold medal at the 2012 London Games as a member of the US 4×100-metre medley relay.
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