It was Achille Polonara himself, 33 years old, Dinamo Sassari basketball player, who announced the success of the intervention with a post on Intagram Mostro transplant immediately yesterday 25 September at the Sant’Orsola hospital in Bologna to treat acute myeloid leukemia that he was diagnosed in June and for which he had made specific chemotherapy treatments at the Valencia hospital waiting for a compatible marrow. And just two years ago, on the same day, an abnormal value had been detected in a routine control from which the diagnosis of testicles cancer then arrived, for which it had then been operated on the same hospital with optimism and willpower was wanted to return to the fields a few months later, also becoming an AIRC Foundation testimonial in support of cancer research. It was for this commitment that we interviewed him on Christian family. He knew he was not the absolute certainty of being healed, but fate was fierce not with a relapse but with a new tumor. Which is facing once again with strength and without hiding, including dark moments.
Achille Polonara in November 2024 to support the days of the AIRC Foundation Research
His words after the first tumor
We publish below the interview that appeared on the FC 44/2024 on the occasion of a dossier on the new frontiers of tumors and the AIRC Foundation’s commitment for research
We hardly associate a tumor with a young sportsman who, apart from injuries on the field, we believe the portrait of health. Achille Polonar also thought soA, Serie A basketball player under Virtus Bologna and for years in the national team until, on September 24 last year, 2023, during a normal anti -doping control after a game, discovered a value in the blood, the HCG, very anomalous. “I had two weeks to understand what it was, if it was my body that produced it. From a search on Google the news came out that another sportsman from a similar control and with that type of talked value had diagnosed a testicle cancer. I immediately warned the team’s doctor. I prescribed an ultrasound that confirmed the suspicion: I had cancer. The advantage of a sports professional is that he must undergo frequent checks. “I had made the previous analyzes on July 30th and there was no anomaly: it means that we had intercepted the disease at the initial stage”.
After the surgery on 10 October at the Sant’Orsola hospital in Bologna, chemotherapy begins on November 5th. «I made an intense cycle, five days in a row, to be able to shorten the times. I absolutely wanted to return to play as soon as possible. Even the urologist who followed me told me that I could resume almost immediately training me, that physical activity would help the recovery. COsì on December 3 I was already on the bench in a Serie A match. Of course I was not in the midst of the form, and I have not yet been for months, but I was there. Now, however, I feel like before the diagnosis, and my purpose is to continue playing for another 4 or 5 years ».
Therapies like the one that Achille Polonara had to do at risk of fertility in a man. «If I hadn’t done chemotherapy I would have had 45% of the possibility of developing a recurrence within two and a half years of the intervention, so the possibility is reduced to 3%. On the other hand, It will be very difficult for a child to conceive. Since I already have two children, a female, victory, 4 years old, and a boy of 2, whom my wife wanted to call like me, Achille Jr, we decided to rely only on the will of God for a possible third child ».
Achille Polonara had made his illness known and the subsequent return to the team. On that occasion he was contacted by AIRC Foundation so that he became one of the faces of their campaigns for prevention and fundraising to be allocated to research. «I have joined with great enthusiasm and I do the same with the citizens on the occasion of the search weeks. To support more than 6,000 scientists who work to make cancer more and more curable. As for prevention I recommend that you adhere to screening and adopt
since young healthy behaviors. From Sportivo I recommend everyone to choose the formula 0-5-30: 0 cigarettes, of any kind, 5 portions of fruit and vegetables and 30 minutes of moderate exercise ».
Living knowing that, even if remote, there is the possibility of a relapse could generate anguish, but not for Achille Polonara: “I am by nature optimistic, I struggle to see black: True, I am not sure to be healed completely, but I have to do periodicals controlls are serene and confident ».
