Fight figure Victor Conte diagnosed with cancer

Boxing figure Victor Conte has been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, according to reports from within the US.

Conte, who shot to infamy with his role in the BALCO doping scandal decades ago told Boxing Scene that he had been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. However, he said that his prognosis appeared to be good.

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The course of treatment for Conte, reported Boxing Scene, would be three months of chemotherapy followed by surgery. Luckily, the cancer has reportedly not metastasised.

Conte told Boxing Scene: “The cancer’s at an advanced stage locally but has not spread to any other organs in my body. I’ll do chemo weekly for three months – maybe four – during which doctors hope to shrink the tumour enough to be able to go in and remove the tumour with NanoKnife surgery. That’s the plan.”

Conte said that his physicians were positive and that the cancer had not spread beyond his pancreas.

He added: “I’ve got a stint implanted in my bile duct. My appetite is back after losing the 40 pounds. It’s been a very difficult time. I’m just glad to be able to continue to do what I do. None of this is about money. It’s never been about making money for me. I’ve got a ton of money saved. I get to do what I love to do with the people I love to work with.”

The BALCO scandal over two decades ago rocked professional sports in the US, with athletes from multiple disciplines including baseball and boxing being implemented in mass doping done through Conte’s labs in San Francisco (BALCO stands for ‘Bay Area Lab Company’).

Athletes caught up in the scandal included Shane Mosley, who said despite video evidence that he had never been a steroid abuser or a cheat or sports; Barry Bonds, who similarly denied wrongdoing; and track and field athlete Marion Jones.

For his role in the scandal, which was the subject of a Netflix documentary called Untold: Hall of Shame in 2023, Conte served four months in jail.

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Since his initial fall from grace, Conte has rehabilitated his image somewhat with his more-recent campaigning for clean sport,

Following his release, Conte underwent a Damascene conversion and has worked on eradicating PEDs from use in sports, working closely with the Voluntary Anti-Doping Association (VADA).

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