Bolder Boulder led to cancer diagnosis for Denver city councilman Albus Brooks

The Bolder Boulder may have helped save a Denver City Councilman's life.

Albus Brooks ran the race on Memorial Day weekend and said he noticed some stiffness in his psoas muscle, which connects the spine to the pelvis.

"I went to a chiropractor to see if the muscle could be loosened up, and the chiropractor noticed a mass, urging me to meet with my doctor," Brooks wrote on Facebook. 

After CT scans and a biopsy, Brooks said he was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer called Chondrosarcoma. It is found in parts of the body that contain cartilage.

"This cancer -- which is contracted by less than one percent of all cancer patients -- was found in a tumor in my body and is roughly the size of a cantaloupe," Brooks wrote.

Denver7 sat down with Councilman Brooks after he went public with the diagnosis. He explained that he wants to educate others about the importance of listening to your body. 

"You can catch something ahead of time and I’m just glad I caught this before it spread throughout my body," said Brooks.

He felt the pain for a year and a half before he finally got it checked out.

"The unfortunate thing is I felt it for a while, you know and just thought that I needed to stretch it out," said Brooks. "But it wasn’t until I ran you know in that long race that I knew something else needed to be done."

While the cancer has not spread, he is having surgery to remove the tumor on July 5.

Cancer hasn't slowed Brooks down. He was working and attending multiple meetings Tuesday, but expects to be out of work for four to six weeks on medical leave after surgery.

Councilman Brooks wrote the following post on Facebook:

"I have learned that cancer does not discriminate, and that no matter how healthy you are this disease can impact your life," Brooks wrote on Facebook. "It is critical that we all get regular check ups with a primary care physician and examine ourselves for anything unusual. I am thankful that I have access to health insurance and quality medical care, and as a public servant I am continually reminded of the deep need to continue to provide access to this care to everyone. The health of a city is dependent upon the health of its people."