Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Battling Leukemia
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar announced that he is being treated for a rare form of leukemia. He was diagnosed last December with chronic myeloid leukemia, he told The Associated Press. He said his prognosis is encouraging.
His doctor didn’t give any guarantees, but told him: “You have a very good chance to live your life out and not have to make any drastic changes to your lifestyle.”
Kareem is taking an oral medication for the disease.
“I’ve never been a person to share my private life. But I can help save lives,” he said at a midtown Manhattan conference room. “It’s incumbent on someone like me to talk about this.”
He said he became concerned last year after feeling odd sensations.
“I was getting hot flashes and sweats on a regular basis,” he said. “That’s not normal, even for my age.”
An exam showed his white blood cell count was “sky high” and a doctor quickly diagnosed his condition.
“There is hope. This condition can be treated. You can still live a productive, full life,” he said. “I’m living proof I can make it.”
About 5,000 cases of CML are expected to be diagnosed in the United States this year, the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society said. More than 22,000 people are living in the US with the disease.
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