It was in April last year that Per Carlén, 63, noticed that his intestines were not working as they used to and sought care.
– I immediately realize that something is wrong, so I send off a stool sample. It takes three days and they call to say they found blood in the stool, says Carlén to Helsingborgs Dagblad.
It turned out to be a tumor in the colon, which had spread to the liver and lungs. At the moment, Carlén feels better than in a long time and the doctors assess that the liver and colon are healthy and that the treatment has had full effect. But the fight is not over because there may be microscopic cancer cells lying dormant.
“Would have meant a death sentence ten years ago”
– Ten years ago, the message I received in May would definitely have meant a death sentence. It is fortunate that developments in research and healthcare are progressing as quickly as they are. Plus my physics helped me. After my handball career, I have continued to run and train, says Carlén.
One of the most memorable moments of Carlén’s career was when he left his shoes on the podium after losing to Croatia in the 1996 Olympic final, symbolically announcing that his national team career was over. Then a 15-year national team career ended.