Typical Essendon underarm bowling for cricket, underhanded tactics for football

Friday February 10, 05:21 PM


Ramanauskas out of AFL again with cancer

A recurrence of cancer is expected to stop Essendon defender Adam Ramanauskas from taking to the field this season, but the club believes he will eventually play again.

Advice from international specialists is being sought, with the 25-year-old expected to have surgery to remove a tumour for the third time, with a subsequent treatment regime still to be decided on.

Ramanauskas has already twice had tumours removed from his upper body, in 2003, and underwent radiotherapy treatment later that year.

He returned to play every game for the Bombers in 2004.

But a routine check-up earlier this week found a new, aggressive tumour had emerged, a shock given Ramanauskas had felt and appeared to be fit and healthy.

"It's disappointing and distressing for all of us," Essendon chief executive Peter Jackson said.

"I had to tell the players this morning for the second time in two years and I think if anything it might have been a bit harder this time, to be honest, for all of us.

"There's shock and disappointment to cope with, it's not a pleasant time.

"But he's a very strong young man and he's battled through this before and we're confident he can battle through it again."

While unwilling to divulge the complete details of Ramanauskas' condition, Jackson said it was unlikely radiotherapy would be used a second time.

"They tried a certain treatment last time and hoped and now they've got to try something else," he said.

"I would have to assume at the moment that the sort of treatment I'm sort of hearing about, I'm not sure whether he can get back this year, but he can get back in the future."

Jackson, who described Ramanauskas as a strong and amazing man, said the bond between the player and his teammates would help him endure his ordeal, while his fight would inspire the Bombers on the field.

Cancer expert David Thomas, a medical oncologist with the Peter Mac sarcoma service, said with the type of tumour Ramanauskas had removed in 2003 - fibromatosis - recurrences were quite common.

While unable to comment specifically on Ramanauskas' case, he said it was not unusual for one or two cells to be left behind after surgery and treatment, developing into a new tumour.

The type of tumour naturally confined itself to the section of the body where it grew, but having to continually remove tumours from the same area could cause problems, Dr Thomas said.

"If it keeps coming back in that area and you keep having to remove more tissue that's a significant problem," he said.

He said there was also a limit to the amount of radiotherapy that could be delivered to the same section of someone's body during their lifetime.

If that limit had been reached, it would mean other measures, such as hormone treatment or chemotherapy would have to be used, which could have severe side effects.

Ramanauskas also missed all but three games last season because of a knee injury, undergoing a reconstruction.

He was expected to be ready to resume playing in the upcoming pre-season matches, before the discovery of the tumour.