U.S. Olympic Gold Medalist Swimmer Nathan Adrian Diagnosed With Testicular Cancer

U.S. Olympic swimmer Nathan Adrian has been diagnosed with testicular cancer.

Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images

U.S. Olympic swimmer Nathan Adrian has been diagnosed with testicular cancer, he announced in an Instagram post Thursday.

Adrian said the cancer was caught early and the prognosis is good. The 30-year-old said he'll "be back in the water in a few short weeks with [his] sights fully set on Tokyo" for the 2020 Olympics. He added he's scheduled for surgery next week and will provide updates soon.

"Life, like swimming the 100 free, can come at you hard and fast as you can’t always see who, or what, may be chasing you down," Adrian wrote on Instagram."Recently, I went to the doctor as something didn’t seem quite right. At the very least, I still needed to get my flu shot so it couldn’t hurt. After a few tests and visits with a specialist, I unfortunately learned that I have Testicular Cancer. On the bright side, we caught it early, I have already started treatment and the prognosis is good. I will be back in the water in a few short weeks with my sights fully set on Tokyo! Along the way, I hope to share my journey in an effort to help break the stigma of discussing men’s health issues. I’ve realized that too often we tend to avoid these important topics, ignore the potential warning signs, and put off getting the medical help that we may need. As I told my family, I’ll be putting my public health degree to work a little sooner than I planned! But in all seriousness, I am keeping a positive attitude as cases such as mine are curable. I am extremely grateful for my family and friends, especially my wife, for their love and support. I am scheduled for surgery early next week and will provide an update soon."

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Nathan Adrian (@nathangadrian)

Adrian earned the degree at Cal, winning five NCAA titles with the Bruins. He has won five gold medals with four on relays. He formerly held the American record in the 50-meter freestyle event.