What sparked cancer rumors about Gold Rush alum Freddy Dodge? Speculation explored

Gold Rush alum Freddy Dodge is renowned as a gold mining expert with years of on-field experience. Freddy quickly became a fan favorite, which earned him his own Gold Rush spinoff, Mine Rescue with Freddy & Juan. During season 3 of the spinoff show, Freddy raised concerns with his noticeable weight loss, which led fans to wonder if he was battling cancer.

The cancer speculation came to a head because Freddy had experienced a similar health scare in 2018, when doctors found a tumor in his body during routine medical tests. While netizens worried the tumor might be malignant, it turned out to be benign, with no cancer found.

Consequently, when Freddy appeared on his spinoff show with a significant weight loss, it once again raised concerns among fans, who feared that the weight loss was a consequence of his alleged cancer diagnosis. However, the network and the Discovery star have yet to address the claim.

As of mid-2025, Freddy continues to actively film for Mine Rescue with Freddy & Juan, displaying strong physical performance. Despite concerns remaining on the high, with no official statement, the observations remain speculative.

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Gold Rush star Freddy Dodge's tumor diagnosis and cancer scare

Around 2018, the year season 8 of Gold Rush aired, Freddy experienced a cancer scare that had netizens fearing the worst. The Discovery star discovered a tumor during his routine medical tests, which the doctors suspected was cancer.

His medical journey was documented on the show, during which he underwent testing and discovered that the tumor was benign. After finding out it was cancer-free, doctors surgically removed the lesion. While speaking to his crewmates on the show, Freddy said:

"They cut it out of me, and it was benign."

The news relieved fans of the reality show. Shortly after, Freddy returned to work as usual.

In 2022, Freddy once again became a topic of concern when netizens noticed that he had put on a noticeable amount of weight. It led to fans taking to various social media platforms to express their opinions. In a 2022 post, a Reddit user, @SomeOtherAdam, wrote that Freddy looked like he was a "heart attack waiting to happen."

Others started commenting under the post, with many saying that Freddy seemed like he had high blood pressure, and others hoping that he would lose weight to relieve the stress on his body.

In season 3 of Mine Rescue with Freddy & Juan, Freddy returned to the screens, looking slimmer compared to his previous appearance. Unlike last season, where fans commented on his weight gain, fans were now concerned about his weight loss. They wondered if his 2018 tumor had reappeared, posing a potential cancer scare.

One netizen on Reddit said:

"I didn't recognize him at first. After watching for a while I adjusted but it was a shock at first!"

However, others assumed he lost the weight he had gained in the previous season to adopt a healthier lifestyle.

"1st thing I noticed. He must be ok since we will have a whole new season. His doctor probably told him to lose some weight to get his BP down," a Reddit user commented.

While speculations continue circulating, Freddy has not released any health-related statements since the cancer scare. Although his changing physique has drawn attention from viewers, Freddy's active involvement in Gold Rush: Mine Rescue with Freddy & Juan suggests that he has no signs of medical illness or inability to work.

Netizens can follow Freddy's journey on his spinoff show, which airs every Friday at 9 pm ET on Discovery.

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Gold Rush episodes can be streamed on discovery+.