Kareem Abdul Jabbar likes his Chances with Leukemia
By Robert Latkany, MDNovember 11, 2009
I remember playing basketball and pretending to be like former NBA legend Kareem Abdul Jabbar, flipping a hook shot off the backboard for the winning basket in immitation of his signature move (although my shots did not go in as often as his). So I was saddened to hear that the legend was diagnosed with chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML), a relatively rare cancer of the blood. Although he kept most of his private life secret, he was also recognized for his use of goggles while playing basketball to prevent cornea abrasions. A slender 7 feet 2 inch 225 pound frame in his prime it has been noted he gained nearly 40 pounds after retirement. What makes this point most interesting is its possible association with leukemia risk. Strom et al determined that adulthood weight gain plays an important role as a risk factor for CML. Although Xie et al noted a decline in the overall 6 year survival rate for black males over the age 44 (he is 62 years old) with leukemia, Hochhaus et al found the estimated event-free 6 year survival rate was 83% in those patients who use Imatinib mesylate as first line therapy for CML (although Medpie.com staff could not find any mentioning of the survival rate of the control arm). Mr. Jabbar is a spokesman for this medication. I sure hope this giant will be around for the long haul.
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