News anchor Will Reeve has revealed that he was diagnosed with testicular cancer earlier this year, saying his wife’s encouragement to seek medical attention helped lead to early treatment.
Reeve, 34, said he first noticed a tender lump on one of his testicles while showering in April. He initially assumed it was nothing serious, but his wife, Amanda Dubin Reeve, urged him to undergo an ultrasound.
Tests confirmed cancer, and Reeve underwent surgery in May to remove the affected testicle. Further testing showed that 95% of the cancer was embryonal carcinoma, an aggressive form of testicular cancer.
Doctors later found that the cancer had spread to three lymph nodes in his abdomen. Reeve underwent a six-hour operation in June to remove dozens of lymph nodes and subsequently completed two rounds of chemotherapy, finishing treatment on July 31.
Reeve said he is now cancer-free, following a checkup on Sept. 8. He took several weeks away from his work at ABC News during his treatment and recovery.
He also underwent sperm banking because he and Amanda, whom he married in January, hope to start a family.
Reeve credited his wife with persuading him to get checked early.
“We talk about ‘in sickness and in health,’” Reeve said, describing his diagnosis as an early test of their marriage vows.
Reeve said his experience also reminded him of his parents, actor Christopher Reeve and Dana Reeve. His father became paralyzed after a horse-riding accident, while his mother died of lung cancer in 2006.
“Watching my parents up close take the adversity they faced in their lives and repurpose it into something hopeful left a major impact on my life,” Reeve said.
He said he decided to publicly share his experience because he had received support from family, friends and strangers throughout his life.
“I was raised to share one’s struggles if, in doing so, that might help others,” Reeve said.
