‘Flip or Flop’ Star Tarek El Moussa Reveals Testicular Cancer Battle: ‘I Literally Thought I Was Going to Die’
Amid his divorce from wife Christina El Moussa, “Flip or Flop” star Tarek El Moussa has opened up further about the health problems that have dogged him, revealing that he battled testicular cancer as well as thyroid cancer.
El Moussa appeared on NBC’s “Today” on Tuesday to reveal that, a month after he was told that he had thyroid cancer, he was also diagnosed with testicular cancer.
“Getting the thyroid cancer is hard enough, and then a few weeks later finding out I had testicular cancer, I literally thought I was going to die,” El Moussa told “Today.”
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While El Moussa’s battle with thyroid cancer has been well-documented, the reality TV star said that he was reluctant to reveal the testicular cancer as “it was more of a personal thing.” However, El Moussa said that he is now coming forward about it “to create awareness. I know that when I came out with thyroid cancer, a lot of people found out they also had thyroid cancer.”
Tarek was diagnosed with thyroid cancer after a registered nurse emailed the show’s production company in 2013 to suggest that Moussa get a medical checkup for a large nodule on his thyroid, according to The Independent.
When he got the lump biopsied, his doctors discovered that it was cancerous and had spread to his lymph nodes. He has since undergone surgery to remove the tumor and thyroid radioactive iodine therapy.
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In January, El Moussa gave fans an update on his condition, writing on Instagram that he was still free of the illness.
“Still #cancer #free!!!! Having cancer is a very scary thing… I always get nervous going into each check up and today I got GREAT news!!” El Moussa wrote.
Watch El Moussa discuss his testicular cancer diagnosis in the video.
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