(AFP) – Jul 12, 2008

NEW YORK (AFP) — American swimmer Eric Shanteau, who qualified for next month's Beijing Olympics in the 200-meter breaststroke, has been diagnosed with testicular cancer, The New York Times reported Saturday.

Shanteau, 24, plans to compete at Beijing, delaying surgery until after the Games. He became aware of the diagnosis a week before the start of the US Olympic Swim Trials that concluded last weekend in Omaha, Nebraska.

After discovering an abnormality, Shanteau saw a doctor who later found the mass to be malignant.

Because testicular cancer has a high rate of successful treatment when discovered early, Shanteau has the flexibility to allow him to complete his Olympic dream before surgery.

Shanteau kept the cancer diagnosis private until Thursday when he told his US Olympic swim teammates, the report said.

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