• Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary menu
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
BlackDoctor.org
Where Wellness & Culture Connect

Where Wellness & Culture Connect

  • Health Conditions
  • Wellness
  • Lifestyle
  • Longevity
  • Resource Centers
    • Cancer Resource Center
    • Covid Resource Center
  • Find A Doctor
  • BDO TV
Home / Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Goes One-On-One With Cancer And Wins!

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Goes One-On-One With Cancer And Wins!

(Photo by Slaven Vlasic/Getty Images for Sports Illustrated)

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, one of basketball’s all-time greatest players and one of the most loved, shook the sports world years ago when he announced that he had cancer. In an effort to help people understand his disease, the sports legend made the public disclosure nearly a year after being diagnosed with Philadelphia chromosome-positive chronic myeloid leukemia (Ph+ CML).

Ph+ CML is a slow progressing type of blood cancer that’s characterized by an abnormality known as the Philadelphia chromosome, which produces a protein called BCR-ABL. BCR-ABL has been identified as the sole cause and driver of CML.

“Having lost one of my closest friends to a different, highly aggressive form of leukemia, I knew how serious my diagnosis was,” said Abdul-Jabbar, now age 73. “My own life expectancy became a question mark.”

Born Ferdinand Lewis Alcindor, Abdul-Jabbar, the NBA’s all-time leading scorer, converted to Sunni Islam in 1968, though he did not begin publicly using his Arabic name until 1971. He boycotted the 1968 Summer Olympics by deciding not to try out for the United States Men’s Olympic Basketball team. This action was in protest to the unequal treatment of African-Americans in the United States.

You May Also Like
15 Natural Remedies for Aches and Pains

Abdul-Jabbar won five championships with the Los Angeles Lakers before retiring in 1989. He was diagnosed with CML in December 2008 and is being treated with a medicine that targets the abnormal protein that causes his leukemia. With treatment, Abdul-Jabbar is expected to live a full, active life.

Abdul-Jabbar learned of his condition after consulting a doctor about hot flashes and night sweats.

“Fortunately, my cancer was detected in its early stages,” he says. “I also am lucky to have a son who, at the time, was training to become a doctor, and was able to calm me down and be a solid sounding board until I could get all my questions answered by my specialist.”

You May Also Like
Bacon and other meats May Increase Your Risk for This Lung Disease

The intensely private Abdul-Jabbar, a father of five, said he came forward after learning many patients don’t regularly take their medication and skip appointments to the doctor.

“I’m telling my story to encourage fellow patients to take charge of their health,” he said. “Work closely with your doctor, monitor your disease and, above all, take your medicine.”

Now, after a few years from announcing his cancer, Kareem is doing very well. “You’re never really cancer-free and I should have…

Continue Reading

The Latest In Cancer

medical marijuana

Medical Marijuana May Offer Safe Pain Relief for Cancer Patients

Cancer patients who use medical marijuana experience less pain and a better quality of life, Israeli researchers report. And, their new study found, that these patients were able to rely less on opioid painkillers, with minimal side effects. "I hope people read more about Medical Marijuana May Offer Safe Pain Relief for Cancer Patients
cancer

Good News, Bad News on Black Americans and Cancer

A new report on how Black Americans are faring against cancer offers up a decidedly mixed picture. The risk that a Black man or woman in America will die from cancer has steadily declined over the last two decades, the newly read more about Good News, Bad News on Black Americans and Cancer
What Causes Feet To Swell

What Causes Feet To Swell? 7 Main Reasons

Q: What causes feet to swell? - P. H.  A: There are many reasons the feet may swell. It is very important that you figure out the root cause behind your swollen feet. There are some serious health implications as read more about What Causes Feet To Swell? 7 Main Reasons

5 Reasons Why You Bruise So Easily

Ever discovered a mysterious bruise on your body and don't know how it got there? Even if you don't remember falling down somewhere or hitting your body against something yet still seeing a bruise can be frustrating. Cause #1: Dietary read more about 5 Reasons Why You Bruise So Easily
body changes

10 Changes In Your Body Black Women Should Never Ignore

Women around the world struggle to balance work, home, children, errands, and so on. Their list of things to do never ends and in this hectic lifestyle, a large number of them end up ignoring changes in your body that read more about 10 Changes In Your Body Black Women Should Never Ignore
benzene

Cancer-Linked Benzene Found in Many Personal Care Products

Dozens of different spray products -- deodorants, shampoos, sunscreens, athlete's foot treatments -- have been recalled in recent months due to contamination with the cancer-causing chemical benzene. Most recently, six Brut and Sure aerosol antiperspirants faced recall last week due to benzene read more about Cancer-Linked Benzene Found in Many Personal Care Products

Primary Sidebar

Subscribe to our newsletter

Poll

Popular Posts

  • Marjorie Harvey: Fit, Fine & 57!Marjorie Harvey: Fit, Fine & 57!
  • LL Cool J & Wife Simone Smith Celebrate 25 Years Married: “We Celebrate Life”LL Cool J & Wife Simone Smith Celebrate 25 Years Married: "We Celebrate Life"
  • Snoop Dogg & Wife: 26 Years And Still Going StrongSnoop Dogg & Wife: 26 Years And Still Going Strong
  • Halle Berry: Over 50 ‘Just Keeps Getting Better With Time’Halle Berry: Over 50 'Just Keeps Getting Better With Time'
  • Queen Latifah Sheds Light on BMI Chart Flaws: “I’m Just Thick”Queen Latifah Sheds Light on BMI Chart Flaws: "I'm Just Thick"

Podcast

Footer

Where Wellness & Culture Connect

BDO is the world’s largest and most comprehensive online health resource specifically targeted to African Americans. BDO understands that the uniqueness of Black culture - our heritage and our traditions - plays a role in our health. BDO gives you access to innovative new approaches to the health information you need in everyday language so you can break through the disparities, gain control and live your life to its fullest.

Connect With Us

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Learn More About

  • Hepatitis C
  • Diabetes
  • Sickle Cell
  • Mental Health
  • About Us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Advertise With Us
  • BlackDoctor.org Advertising and Sponsorship Policy
  • Daily Vitamina
  • TBH

Copyright © 2022, BlackDoctor, Inc. All rights reserved.