Larkham awaits cancer all-clear

Australian fly-half Stephen Larkham has had an operation to remove a cancerous melanoma from his left leg and now faces an anxious wait for the all-clear.

Doctors are confident they have caught all the cancer. But the final results of the surgery, which Larkham underwent on Saturday, will not be known until early next week.

“I think whenever you hear the word cancer you do get worried. You tend not to think about rugby but about your life and how precious it is,” said the 30-year-old.

“Once I saw the specialists they put my mind at rest. They said there was a high success rate if we got to it early, and it looks like that’s been the case. The doctors seem pleased with the preliminary results, which is a real relief.”

Larkham first noticed the mole before the 2003 Rugby World Cup. But it doubled in size in recent months – and after he had undergone a biopsy, specialists advised immediate surgery.

Doctors cut out an area of 1.5cm by 2cm in the crease behind Larkham’s left knee, and he will need to undergo tests every six moths for the rest of his life.

Larkham is targeting a return to the ACT Brumbies’ Super 12 campaign in four weeks’ time.