One thing often not mentioned in stories about Lance Armstrong is that he didn't go to a doctor until he was coughing up blood. This was despite having symptoms for quite some time. He mentions this quite clearly in his autobiography.

In other words, had he gone to a doctor earlier, it's quite possible he would have had a "routine" testicular cancer diagnosis with a much better prognosis and recovery.

I mention this because testicular cancer is more common than most people recognize and his story should be more a testament to "get checked early and often" vs "look at the power of the human spirit!".