The host of 'Flip or Flop' openly reveals that he was diagnosed with testicular cancer only two months after he learned about his thyroid cancer and he blames it for his split from Christina.
- Mar 7, 2017
AceShowbiz - Tarek El Moussa has revealed that he has testicular cancer in addition to thyroid cancer he battled with. The HGTV "Flip or Flop" host opened up about his cancers for the upcoming issue of PEOPLE as well as spoke up about it during his recent appearance on "The Doctors" on Monday, March 6.
He learned about his testicular cancer two months after he was diagnosed with thyroid cancer after a nurse who watched "Flip or Flop" suggested him to get a lump on his neck checked in 2013. Prior to this, though, Tarek and Christina, whom he filed for divorce from in January, kept the testicular cancer secret. "Testicular cancer is more of a private thing," the HGTV "Flip or Flop" host opened up to PEOPLE.
During his recent appearance on "The Doctors", he revealed that the cancers were partly blamed for his split from Christina. "If we had better communication, we would've had a better relationship," he said. He continued, "As time went on, and as you get busier and busier...business, TV, then the cancer, the [second] cancer, and the back surgery, it just started pushing us apart from each other."
Tarek and Christina looked through all of his medical records for any other irregularities after he got a proper diagnosis of thyroid cancer. They found an irregular testicular exam from two years earlier and afterwards, he went to get a further test done.
He recalled the day of the testing, "I was at one building doing my thyroid stuff and mentioned I was going across the street to get an ultrasound done." He continued, "I'll never forget the doctor joking, 'I hope you don't have cancer!' " He added, "I get over to the ultrasound and [the technician and I] are talking and having fun and all of a sudden he got really quiet," El Moussa said.
He went on recalling, "I said, 'What's up?' I could tell he was nervous and he was like 'Oh, I'm not a doctor.' I said, 'What do you mean?' And he said, 'Are you in pain? I think you're in pain and should go to the emergency room.' Right then, I knew something was wrong. A half hour later they tell me I have cancer and try to sign me up for surgery. That was devastating."
He revealed that later he scheduled his surgeries and radioactive iodine therapy to get rid the cancer. Prior to the surgeries, he took a few weeks to process his diagnosis.
He stated that the reason why he openly shared his testicular cancer diagnosis after keeping it a secret was because he realized his story could save some lives, just like what he did to his step-father. He divulged to PEOPLE that now his step-father suffered from the same disease.
"I talked to [my stepfather] and I said, 'Listen, you were there for me when I went through it and now I’m here for you while you go through it,' " Tarek explained. He added, "His is worse through because he waited longer. He knew there was something wrong when he told my mom years ago, but he never went to the doctor." He revealed that his step-father's cancer had spread to his lymph nodes and required him to do chemotherapy.
