In the build-up to the All-Ireland final Deane had noticed a hardening of one of his testicles but ignored it. By early October a noticeable swelling prompted a formal visit to his doctor and within a few days of that visit the testicle was two or three times the size of the other one. A CT scan revealed that it was cancerous and that small traces had also shown up in his stomach. While rumours about his illness had been circulating in hurling circles for several weeks, Deane refused to confirm the nature of his illness until after the surgery. Good-will cards flooded in from many of his past and present foes on the playing field, including the entire Tipperary team. Deane underwent surgery at the Bons Secours hospital in Cork in November and the possibility of chemotherapy was raised. On a visit to his oncologist it was revealed that the traces of cancer in the blood had dissipated, and there would be no need for treatment.