Blues lock faces tough cancer battle

Blues lock Kurtis Haiu's cancer diagnosis is the worst possible result. Photo Ron Burgin

Blues lock Kurtis Haiu has been given a 65 percent chance of surviving bone cancer after it was discovered he has an unusual form of cancer.

Haiu, 26, has been on indefinite leave from the Super 15 side since he found out he had a tumour on his rib last month.

The team announced today that he had a biopsy taken 10 days ago and the results have found that he has stage two cancer, the worst case scenario according to Blues doctor Stephen Kara.

"He has a primary bone tumour, or bone cancer, called a Ewing sarcoma which is an unusual form of bone cancer and generally effects people in their adolescence to early 20s. It is a stage two cancer which means it has spread just outside the bone and into the soft tissue but is nowhere else," Dr Kara said.

Dr Kara said Haiu faces three months of chemotherapy before seeing a surgeon and having the residual tumour taken out. That will be followed by another six months of chemotherapy which rules him out of rugby for "at least 12 months".

Haiu began treatment today with a specialist giving him a 65 per cent cure rate at five years.

"We had it down to four differentials and this would be the worst of those four...he's obviously pretty upset and devastated by that, Dr Kara said.

"The things on Kurtis's side are one; he's a fit a healthy young man and two; it's stage two and nothing more."

The news came on the back of reports during the weekend that Haiu is also facing serious assault charges.

Blues coach Pat Lam wouldn't comment on the charges but said the side were fully behind Haiu.

"It's fair to say that he has a lot to deal with at the moment," he said.

"He's still very much part of this team. It would be great to give him a championship as well. But it's really about the time away from here as well that he's not isolated from the team and still very much part of it.

"Everyone will rally around him and do everything we can for him."