Vitals Spotlight - We Give the Doctor an Exam

Kareem Abdul Jabbar (blogs.undftd.com)

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, 62 year-old NBA Hall of Famer, has developed a rare form of cancer. He is very optimistic that he is able to have the disease under control and lead a healthy life. Last December he was diagnosed with “chronic myeloid leukemia, a cancer of the blood and bone marrow that produces cancerous blood cells.”

“The word ‘leukemia’ is a very frightening word,” he said in a phone interview from New York. “In many instances, it’s a killer and it’s something that you have to deal with in a very serious and determined way if you’re going to beat it.”

Studies have shown that this version of leukemia, if monitored closely, allows the patient to live a normal healthy life “without progressing to a more advanced stage.”

Dr. Gary Schiller, a Hematologist and Medical Oncologist at UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine, said that the latest drug treatment has significantly improved in the past decade.

“Remission of really high quality in 85% of patients . . . [who] function normally with very, very few side effects.”

Dr. Gary Schiller

The special assistant coach with the Lakers, Abdul-Jabbar, said he was having contast hot flashes and sweating profusely, and instead of ignoring the symptoms he addressed them head on.

“By having the hot flashes, I knew something was up. But I didn’t think that it was going to be something as serious as leukemia,” Abdul-Jabbar said.
“If it wasn’t for my health-consciousness, I would have just passed on the effects [of the leukemia symptoms] as something I could ignore,” Abdul-Jabbar said. “But I felt it didn’t make sense to ignore it.”

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is not disheartened about having cancer, and instead living a full dynamic life making people aware of importance of early detection for any type of cancer.

“The fact that you can manage the disease means that you can live your life,” Abdul-Jabbar said. “The fact that you have to go and get your blood analyzed and consult with your doctor might be a minor inconvenience, or you have to take your medication every day. But if you do these things, you can lead a normal live.”

READ MORE ABOUT DR. GARY SCHILLER