U.S. Olympic swimmer Eric Shanteau is defying his testicular cancer diagnosis and will compete Tuesday morning in Beijing in the 200-meter breaststroke prelims. Doctors cleared the swimmer to participate after evaluating his status, concluding that the Stage 1 tumor has not spread and surgery can be postponed until after the competition.

Although Shanteau failed to qualify for the Athens Olympics four years ago, he claims that his cancer diagnosis has helped him focus and will give him an upper hand over his competitors. He thinks that all participants are well prepared, but the winner is the one who manages the pressure best. Currently, he is not a medal favorite, but we'll have to wait and see how it works out.

Eric Shanteau has very good chances of getting cured, basically almost 100 percent because it has not metastasized. It is unknown whether he will also undergo chemotherapy after surgery, but may not be needed in cases such as his when the tumor is detected very early and it advances at a slow pace. In the United States, around 8,000 diagnoses of testicular cancer are made each year.