Browne Comes Through Cancer Surgery OK
After battling colon cancer last year, Glenn Browne was looking forward to returning to the FLW Tour and its first 2018 event at Lake Okeechobee next week. That plan was nixed, however, following the discovery that the cancer has metastasized into Browne’s liver. The Florida pro underwent surgery last Friday afternoon to remove a cancerous tumor, and was released from the hospital Tuesday.
“Everything was good up until about a month ago, but then my latest blood work came back a little crazy,” says Browne, who lives in Ocala. “They double-checked, then found the cancer in my liver. So the surgeon took a pretty big part of it out with this latest surgery, which came about a year after I had the surgery for the colon cancer. But the doctor is hopeful that this will take care of it once and for all.”
Browne missed the 2017 Tour season because of surgery and 10 chemotherapy treatments administered periodically through July. He says his surgeon told him that chemotherapy probably would not be required after his most recent surgery, and he should be able to “get back on the water” in time for the FLW Tour event on the Harris Chain of Lakes. He then plans to fish the remaining five tournaments on the 2018 schedule.
“I’m looking forward to coming back [to the Tour]. I’m sore right now, but I’m getting around and feeling stronger every day.” says Browne, 41. “In case anybody wants to know, I’ve got 34 staples holding me together from just at the top of my breastbone to the bottom of my ribcage.”
Browne notes that while he won’t feel “100 percent” for the second tournament of the Tour campaign, the fact that it’s taking place close to home means it won’t be as physically demanding of him as it might have been otherwise.
“Beings I’ve fished the Harris Chain off and on for the past 30 years, I’m fairly familiar with it,” he says of the Feb. 22-25 event. “Really, about the only time I fish the Harris Chain is in winter and early spring, so I won’t need to put in all the dawn-til-dark practice hours I normally would.”
Otherwise, Browne says he plans to do what the doctor orders and keep mending. He adds that all the well wishes he’s received have helped with his recovery.
“I truly appreciate all the thoughts, prayers, cards, phone calls and expressions of support I’ve had over the last year. I can’t thank everybody enough,” Browne notes.