Iván René Valenciano revealed one of the most difficult pieces of news of his life by confessing that he suffers from a rare blood cancer. The ‘Bombardero’ explained that it is a disease called essential thrombocythemia and he will withdraw from public life to focus on a treatment he will undergo in the United States, where he has resided for several years.
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The all-time leading scorer for Junior de Barranquilla gave an extensive interview on the podcast El Mundo de Aco, where he spoke about various topics such as his playing career, his anecdotes, and his life away from the fields. During the conversation, he confessed that he has cancer.
Fight against cancer
Iván René stated that he is fighting a silent battle with cancer that very few people knew about. When asked by the interviewer, he took a deep breath and uttered the phrase: “I am fighting cancer.”
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The ‘Bombardero’, far from being sad about the issue, reiterated on several occasions during the interview that he faces it as a challenge that life presents him and he is fighting the disease.
“I have to fight it because it is what God has sent me. It is a challenge, it is a possibility to fight for life and not destroy it. I have always maintained that I must fight for it (life). It is what God has sent me and I keep going forward. I will not be defeated,” said the former player of the Colombian National Team from the 90s.
Valenciano ruled out leukemia
The ‘Bombardero’ explained that it is not leukemia but a very rare type of blood cancer: “I don’t have leukemia, it’s a disease called essential thrombocythemia. My bone marrow produces blood with clots and platelets that complicate me every day. Now I’m going to start a more severe treatment.”
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Valenciano stated that he will disappear from public life for a while because he will undergo a more aggressive treatment for the disease. He explained that he will carry out the entire procedure in the United States, where he has resided for several years.
“When that appeared, I faced it as a challenge. These days I will disappear from the public eye because I am going into treatment,” assured the historic Colombian goal scorer.
It should be noted that the ‘Bombardero’s’ health has deteriorated in the last year. In July 2025, Iván René Valenciano suffered a decompensation and had to be urgently admitted to a hospital in the United States, where he received the pertinent care. A very close friend of his ruled out a possible cancer after he received a large amount of blood in a transfusion.
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