what really caused Lance Armstrong’s cancer
On December 26th, 2013, I published a short article, titled, “Do you over-exercise?” At the time, it was theorized that Lance Armstrong’s testicular and brain cancer was brought on by his intense training since “intense exercise has long been known to suppress the immune system” (3). But after watching his tell-all movie earlier this year, I realized what a jerk Lance Armstrong is, and what extreme pressure professional athletes have placed on them to exceed feats the human body cannot accomplish without performance enhancing drugs (2).
Lance Armstrong admitted to taking EPO, testosterone, cortisone, HGH, blood transfusions and blood doping (1). While some drugs can improve performance and aesthetics, drugs don’t come without consequences. For instance, EPOs are “…involved in the development of cancer tumors and that they combine to help the tumors proliferate in the body” (4).
While it’s difficult, if not impossible, to pinpoint what exactly caused Lance’s cancer, I’m more apt to blame the drugs than the long hours of cycling.
Photo: Jojo Ito, tri-athlete
Sources
- https://www.cnn.com/2013/01/15/health/armstrong-ped-explainer/index.html
- https://www.outsideonline.com/2413859/lance-armstrong-espn-documentary
- Outside Magazine December issue, pg. 66, article titled: Post-Workout Immunity Booster
- https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111205102319.htm#:~:text=Summary%3A,tumors%20proliferate%20in%20the%20body.
