ISU head women’s basketball coach Bill Fennelly is recuperating at home after having a cancerous lesion removed from his vocal cords, according to a June 11 Des Moines Register article.

Doctors removed the lesion with a laser excision procedure done Friday morning.

Although test results on whether or not the cancer had invaded the tissue were not available yet, his prognosis is good.

Fennelly has been resting at home.

The procedure has limited his ability to speak and he has been restricted from talking for the next two weeks.

Assistant coach Jack Easley said the team found out about it the same time that everyone else did.

“We were shocked and stunned,” he said.

“Our thoughts turned toward prayers, and we wish him the best.

“We know things will be fine, and everyone’s positive about it.”

If the cancer has invaded the tissue, then it’s known as invasive; if not, then it’s superficial.

There is another lesion growing on his vocal cords and depending on test results, the lesion will be removed either by the same procedure or with radiation treatments.

If the cancer is found to be superficial, then Fennelly will have another microlaryngoscopy.

Radiation will need to be used if the cancer is invasive, however.

Since the end of the basketball season Fennelly has been hoarse, finally visiting a specialist on Thursday.

It was there that the two lesions were discovered.

Fennelly’s wife Deb was contacted, but said she did not wish to speak at the time.

She said she is waiting to hear from her husband’s doctors on the diagnosis of the removed lesion.

As of the evening of June 13, she had not heard back from doctors on her husband’s prognosis.