Lance Armstrong discusses whether doping caused his testicular cancer in a new documentary

Cyclist Lance Armstrong

Disgraced cyclist Lance Armstrong was once renowned as one of the worlds’ greatest athletes after winning the Tour de France every year between 1999 and 2005, but was stripped of his titles in 2012 and admitted to using performance-enhancing drugs in 2013.

Since doping admission, Armstrong has experienced one of the more spectacular falls from grace the world of sports has ever seen.

On October 2, 1996, at age 25, Lance Armstrong was diagnosed with stage three (advanced) testicular cancer.

According to Yahoo Sports, Armstrong began doping around 1992, four years before his eventual diagnosis in October 1996. 

After the cancer was detected, it spread from his testicles to his abdomen, lungs, and brain, but he made a full recovery after his diseased testicle was removed.  

He returned to cycling and went on to win seven consecutive titles with the help of performance-enhancing drugs.

Featuring in a new documentary titled "Lance", made for the 30th anniversary of ESPN, the 48-year-old admitted that he had doped before he had even won a major event.

In the documentary, according to the Daily Mail, filmmaker Marina Zenovich asked if he thinks taking performance-enhancing drugs caused his testicular cancer.

Armstrong said he is unsure whether years of doping during his cycling career lead to his testicular cancer diagnosis in 1996.

 "I don't want to say no, because I don't think that's right either,' he said.

"I don't know if it's yes or no, but I certainly wouldn't say no.

"The only thing I will tell you is, the only time in my life that I ever did growth hormone was the 1996 season.

"Wouldn't it also make sense that if anything bad is there, that it too would grow?"

Before doping scandal, Armstrong was an icon who transcended sport, a cancer survivor and role model.