BVB: Haller before Bundesliga comeback – doctor classifies sports return after cancer

Bundesliga

The reactions in the past few weeks could not have been more emotional. After a break of almost six months due to a diagnosis of testicular cancer, Sébastien Haller celebrated his comeback in a football game in the training camp in a test against Fortuna Düsseldorf (5:1). For the first time ever, the Ivorian wore the jersey of Borussia Dortmund. A few days later, in a friendly against Basel, he scored for BVB for the first time and even scored a hat-trick.

The second half of the Bundesliga season is now against Augsburg (Sunday, 3:30 p.m.). In the training camp, Haller said that everything is possible: “There are no limits in my head. I’ll do my best to be there on January 22.”

He did it. At the press conference before the game, BVB coach Edin Terzić proudly announced that Haller had presented himself very well and that everyone was happy that he was a full member of the group again.

Terzic did not want to say whether the attacker will be used against Augsburg. “We’ll find out privately whether he’ll play from the start, or whether he’ll be substituted on or not.”

Sébastien Haller (left) and Edin Terzić talk before Haller comes on in the friendly against Düsseldorf.Image: dpa / David Indian song

Dortmund sports director Sebastian Kehl was at least in good spirits on Tuesday as part of the DFL’s New Year’s reception. The 42-year-old told Sky that Haller had developed “outstandingly” in the past few days. He added: “He has completed almost all training times and has coped with the intensive training camp quite well. After such a long illness, you don’t know what it does to your body. I knew beforehand that he was mentally incredibly strong and had an incredible personality.”

At this point, the BVB boss left open what many Dortmund fans had hoped for: Haller is in the squad for the Augsburg game. Almost exactly six months after his diagnosis, Haller could make his debut for BVB in a competitive game. It was surprising how quickly the striker recovered after chemotherapy and two operations.

Urologist sees no risks for BVB professionals

For Prof. Dr. However, this is not surprising to Mark Schrader from the Helios Klinikum in Berlin. He is chief physician in urology and, in an interview with watson, classifies possible consequences of the cancer on Haller’s performance: “Once the chemotherapy has been done you are a bit limited, but even that can be solved with medication. In addition, the lung function suffers a bit, but otherwise you are in top shape.”

Schrader also gives the all-clear for Haller and others affected in the long term: “Further damage a few weeks or months later is not to be expected.” In addition, the risk of another tumor occurring in the testicles is relatively low. “Usually it’s three to five percent,” adds Schrader.

Prof. Dr. Mark Schrader has been Head of Urology at the Helios Hospital in Berlin since 2014.Image: helios klinikum Berlin Buch / helios klinikum Berlin Buch

In conversation with watson, it was very important for the doctor to point out that the tumor in the testicles was not due to misconduct. Too much smoking, drinking or the like does not affect them, just as little as too much, too little or the wrong sport.

Rather, Schrader explains: “You cannot influence the risk, it is 100 percent certain.” Even before birth, it is clear whether a man can get this disease or not. “The mothers consumed too much estrogen before giving birth, so stem cell differentiation failed to take place. You can prove that after birth. About 30 years later, these tumors develop. That can no longer be influenced after the birth,” says Schrader.

Prominent cases and their impact

Testicular cancer has received a lot of attention from the German public because Haller was not the only one diagnosed with this disease in 2022. Testicular tumors were also found in Hertha professional Marco Richter and Timo Baumgartl from Union Berlin. Both have already returned to the soccer field.

However, these cases did not trigger a rush to check-ups. According to Schrader, more football fans attended his investigations. “Overall, however, we can only speak of a slight increase,” the doctor clarifies.

The general trend is more or less the same. Schrader explains: “People sporadically go to the investigation when a case becomes known to their immediate family or friends or when it affects prominent personalities who go public with it.”

Since stem cell differentiation can already be detected in childhood, the risk of testicular cancer could even be diagnosed at an early stage. But Schrader also makes it clear: “You would have to take a tissue sample because these malformations are not noticeable in the ultrasound.” However, the effort involved is very great. He adds: “Ten out of 100,000 men have this type of tumor every year. So you would have to biopsy 100,000 men to come up with ten cases.”

In Germany, between 4,000 and 5,000 men develop testicular cancer every year. However, the biopsy and screening are not the only ways to detect a possible disease. Schrader recommends: “The men should regularly feel the testicles for hardening.”