Golfer John Daly Diagnosed With Bladder Cancer: “No Matter What Happens, I’m Not Scared To Die”

Related: Amy Mickelson, Wife Of Pro Golfer Phil Mickelson, Battled Breast Cancer 10 Years Ago And Is Making New Memories With Her Family

“[The urologist said] it doesn’t look like any stones are in there. But unfortunately, you have bladder cancer,” Daly told  PGA Tour Champions Learning Center’s Golf Channel. “After I did the CT [scan] I was fixing to sip on my Diet Coke and he said, ‘Don’t drink anything. We have to get you back in here and get this cancer out of you.'”

Even though Daly’s surgery was successful, his doctor told him that there was an 85% chance the disease would come back. Despite the diagnosis, Daly is staying optimistic and cutting back on consuming alcohol, his beloved Diet Coke, and smoking cigarettes.

“I’m cutting way, way back on the Diet Coke and counting minutes before I can have a cigarette. I’m trying to quit smoking,” Daly said. “The doctors aren’t saying it’s too late. Unfortunately, it’s a cancer that keeps coming back. But I’m going to listen to them, and I’m going to try and quit smoking. If it comes back, it comes back. Six months to a year, if it doesn’t go away, I’m going to live my life. I’m gonna have some fun.”

For a golfer, Daly definitely lives life on the edge. Not only does he consume up to 12 cans of Diet coke a day, but he’s a longtime chain-smoker  inhaling about 40 cigarettes a day. Plus, believe it or not, there’s an actual cocktail named after him. The John Daly is a spiked version of the iconic Arnold Palmer beverage, consisting of sweet tea and lemonade.

Daly has promised to try to stop smoking, and is remaining positive despite the chance of recurrence. In classic Daly fashion, he’s making light of the situation.

“I always tell people I’ve lived one hell of a life. No matter what happens, I’m not scared to die or anything,” Daly said. “It would have been nice to play the last seven or eight or 13 years of my career a little more healthy. But hey, I’m still working, I’m still living life, I’m still doing the things I need to do. … I can accept the challenge. I’m not scared of that. I just want my kids to be OK and everyone else in my family.”

Navigating a Bladder Cancer Diagnosis

Bladder cancer is caused when cells that make up the urinary bladder start growing out of control, which can develop into tumors and over time, if not caught, spread to other parts of the body. The disease is the fourth most common cancer among men, and is especially present in people over the age of 55. Plus, smoking is one of leading causes of bladder cancer, with smokers being three times more likely to be diagnosed than non-smokers.

Related: FDA Approves the First Major New Alternative to Surgery for Bladder Cancer in 20 years

Surgery is typically the most common form of treatment for bladder cancer, but in cases like Daly’s where the disease is likely to return patients may consider immunotherapy as an option. According to Dr. Arjun Balar, director of the genitourinary medical oncology program at NYU's Perlmutter Cancer Center, 60-70% of people diagnosed with advanced bladder cancer may not be able to have the cancer fully removed from surgery, and are not eligible for chemotherapy options. There’s where a new development, called checkpoint inhibitors, comes in.

Dr. Arjun Balar explains how immunotherapy can help treat advanced bladder cancer

“What’s happened over the last decade is the development of these drugs called immune checkpoint inhibitors,” Dr. Balar tells SurvivorNet. “Specifically, the checkpoint in question here is a checkpoint called PD-1, and we’re finding out that they’re particularly active in bladder cancer, and what these drugs do is reinvigorate the immune system and unleash the immune system against cancer.”

Related: Carson Daly Lost His Dad To Bladder Cancer When He Was Just 5 Years Old, But His Memory Lives On In Touching Tribute

So far, five immunotherapy drugs have been approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for advanced bladder cancer, which includes avelumab, pembrolizumab, atezolizumab, nivolumab, and durvalubam.

Like any treatment, immunotherapy does come with it’s own side-effects. Dr. Balar says that some patients may experience diarrhea, shortness of breath, a cough, and other organs being impacted by the treatment. If you feel concerned about these side effects, it’s important to talk to your physician about immunotherapy and learn more about the treatment.

Dr. Arjun Balar breaks down the side-effects to immunotherapy

Learn more about SurvivorNet's rigorous medical review process.