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From Gerry Turner announcing he has cancer to the return of a Chicago Cubs legend’s disease, here’s what’s happening in the cancer space this week.
Gerry Turner, an alum of "Golden Bachelor," opened up about his diagnosis of Waldenström macroglobulinemia.
“Golden Bachelor” alum Gerry Turner, 72, recently opened up about his diagnosis of Waldenström macroglobulinemia, which he received weeks before his split with Theresa Nist.
He explained to PEOPLE that when he went to an orthopedic surgeon after a shoulder injury from three years ago, the results showed “unusual blood markers,” Turner recalled his surgeon saying.
“And so an orthopedic surgeon went to my family doctor, my family doctor referred me to an oncologist, and now I'm working with a hematology-oncology group in Fort Wayne,” he said to PEOPLE. “Unfortunately, there's no cure for it. So that weighs heavily in every decision I make. It was like 10 tons of concrete were just dropped on me. And I was a bit in denial for a while, I didn't want to admit to it.”
Ryne Sandberg, 65, a longtime star second baseman for the Chicago Cubs, has announced that his prostate cancer has returned.
“Unfortunately, we recently learned the cancer has relapsed, and it has spread to other organs,” Sandberg shared on Instagram on Dec. 10. “This means that I’m back to more intensive treatment. We will continue to be positive, strong and fight to beat this. Thank you for your thoughts and prayers for me and my family.”
Sandberg previously announced in January that he had received a diagnosis of metastatic prostate cancer, then later stated that PET scans and MRI tests showed no sign of cancer.
ESPN analyst Dick Vitale, 85, announced that he is cancer-free following a scan of a lymph node in his neck.
“Santa Claus came early as Dr. Rick Brown called and said that my PET scan at 7 a.m. came back clean of cancer!” he wrote in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter. “Thanks so much to all of you for your [prayers].”
He announced earlier this year that he would be undergoing surgery to remove the cancer from his neck after its return. In 2023, Vitale received a diagnosis of vocal cord cancer and later shared that he was cancer-free that November. His most recent cancer diagnosis was the fourth diagnosis he received in three years.
Eddie Jordan, former Formula 1 team owner, revealed that he has been undergoing treatments for both bladder and prostate cancer, which spread to his spine and pelvis earlier this year.
According to PlanetF1, Jordan had been experiencing “very dark days” while undergoing treatment.
“Over the shows, way back in March and April, I was diagnosed with bladder and prostate cancer, and then it spread into the spine and the pelvis, so it was quite aggressive,” he said on the most recent episode of his podcast, “Formula For Success.” “We’ll move on, but yes, some very dark days in there — but we pulled out of it, thankfully.”
Tim Commerford, bassist for the bands Rage Against the Machine and Audioslave, has shared an update on his prostate cancer journey, after first revealing two years ago that he had received a diagnosis of the disease.
“I’m the strongest I’ve ever been in my life,” Commerord told Total Rock, according to a report from Rolling Stone. “And I’m 56 years old. And I’m artistic, and I’m focused on that, and I’m very proud of it. And I’ve always been very proud of being fit as an older person, because most people that are my age are not; that’s the truth of it. And I feel really good about that.”
Commerford, Rolling Stone reported, announced his diagnosis of prostate cancer in December 2022, revealing that he had undergone surgery two months before embarking on a tour with Rage Against the Machine.
He told the magazine earlier this year that he now has his prostate-specific antigen (PSA, a protein associated with the presence of prostate cancer in the body) levels checked every three months.
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