Foster Moreau cancer: When was the Saints TE diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma?

Moreau found out about his condition through a medical when he was still a free agent.

Foster Moreau cancer: When was the Saints TE diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma?

Foster Moreau was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma (Image via ESPN)

Thursday night’s game at the Super Dome was a special occasion for Foster Moreau. Not only was Moreau making a return to playing football, he was doing so with his hometown team. But the world of Gridiron seemed like a distant memory earlier this year when the doctors revealed that he had cancer.

Moreau’s four-year spell with the Las Vegas Raiders came to an end, and he turned to free agency. An unsuccessful trial with the Cincinnati Bengals followed. But he did manage to catch up with old LSU teammates, Joe Burrow and Ja’Marr Chase.

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Afterwards, he returned home to Louisiana and tried out with the New Orleans Saints. During the 6:45pm physical at Touro Hospital, doctors noticed a slight lump on his left clavicle. When they asked Moreau if he had ever noticed the anomaly before, he did not know.“When the physical starts, the first thing the doctor [Saints team physician Dr. John Amoss] touches is my left clavicle,” Moreau said in an interview with the Saints in-house media. “Have you ever noticed this before?’ Amoss questioned. I said, ‘No’; we have got to check this out.”

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The next thing he remembered was getting ready for a CT scan, followed by a trip to the radiology department. When the results came out, Amoss surmised that Moreau had Hodgkin’s lymphoma. “I am like.’ Ok, that’s bad. That’s really bad. Really, really bad,” he said. “That’s almost as bad as it gets.” Fortunately, Hodgkin’s lymphoma (nodular lymphocyte predominant) is a rare form of cancer that is highly treatable. As he learned more about the ins and outs of the disease, Moreau started to get his confidence back.

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When did Foster Moreau recover from cancer?

As soon as the doctors found out about Foster Moreau’s condition, they laid the groundwork for how they would proceed. But he was not part of any NFL franchise earning millions of dollars every month. So the cost was something he had to think about. In these dire times, Moreau had his mother, Tricia, beside him. Although at first Tricia was in denial upon hearing the news, as time gradually passed, she came to terms with it.

Foster Moreau cancer: When was the Saints TE diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma?
Foster Moreau plays as a Tight End (Image via NFL.com)

Moreau had to go through four sessions of receiving doses of Rituximab. In this procedure, doctors inject a monoclonal antibody into the patient. So he was spared from going through chemotherapy. However, the off-season talks in the world of football were already in full swing. Foster was in jeopardy of missing out on making a team due to the treatment. He was ready to take a chance.

In the first treatment session, an IV drip was attached to Foster for nine hours. Gradually, the time became shorter and easier. He only required a shot to the subcutaneous fat in his abdomen.

After the fourth session was completed, Foster Moreau signed a three-year, $12 million contract with the Saints in May. It was a great achievement, not just beating cancer but also returning to play football. But he refused to take any credit; rather, he believes he got off easy and the real praise should go to those who have been fighting their whole lives.

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