Basketball legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar has been diagnosed with chronic myeloid leukemia (CML), a form of blood cancer. Abdul-Jabbar, 62, received the diagnosis last December and says that he is now publicizing his diagnosis in order to help educate others about the disease.
CML occurs when too many white blood cells are made in the bone marrow. Bone marrow is then replaced by malignant, leukemic cells. When these cells circulate in the blood, they can cause enlargement of the liver, spleen or other organs. An indicator of CML is an extraordinarily high white blood cell count, which is what Abdul-Jabbar’s initial blood work revealed.
It is a caused by an acquired genetic abnormality. Part of chromosome 9 breaks off and fuses to chromosome 22. This is called Philadelphia chromosome, or Ph chromosome. Although it is genetic, it is not inherited, so other family members may not necessarily be at risk. It generally occurs in middle-age adults and affects slightly more men than women. CML is rare in children. According to the National Cancer Institute, about 5,050 people (2,930 men, and 2,120 women) will be diagnosed with CML each year, and 470 will die from it. CML affects all races just about equally, with a slightly lower incidence in Asians and Pacific Islanders.
Symptoms can be difficult to pin down in the early stage, and in fact many people are diagnosed with CML at this stage while having blood drawn for some other reason. The disease progresses slowly, which is probably why many people are diagnosed early. As CML progresses, symptoms include bone pain, anemia, weight loss, fever without infection, enlarged spleen, night sweats, fatigue, weakness, bleeding and bruising. Pressure under the left ribs may indicate a swollen spleen, so don’t ignore this symptom.
Therapy includes blocking the Philadelphia chromosome with Gleevec, a drug that is associated with high rates of remission. A bone marrow or stem cell transplant is the only known cure.
Born Ferdinand Lewis “Lew” Alcindor, Jr., the graceful center took the name Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in 1971, several years after converting to Islam. His mother worked in a department store, and his father was a police officer and jazz musician. Raised in Manhattan, young Lew grew to a towering 7’2” and eventually went on to lead UCLA to three NCAA titles. After declining a contract with the Harlem Globetrotters, he played for the Milwaukee Bucks. However, he is most famous for his time with the Los Angeles Lakers, helping to lead them to five NBA championships throughout the 1980s. His trademark “sky hook,” which he could perform with either hand, challenged defenders in the low-post. Not surprisingly, he holds the NBA career record for most points (38,387). That record is expected to stand for quite some time, if not forever. He was also a menace when it came to blocking opponents’ shots, averaging 2.6 per game.
Aside from basketball, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar has appeared in movies including “Airplane!” and the posthumous Bruce Lee movie, “Game of Death”. The clip below shows the scene in which Lee famously defeats the considerably taller (by 19”) Abdul-Jabbar. Though the fight is obviously staged to showcases Lee’s incredible athletic abilities, it also highlights Abdul-Jabbar’s impressive flexibility from his devotion to martial arts and yoga for overall fitness.
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar has not revealed his prognosis but has said that he finds that aside from routine checkups, the disease has not had a significant impact on his life.
Learn more about Chronic Myeloid Leukemia (CML)
Link to video demonstrating CML
Comments
Good article Donna. I remember watching the movie when it first came out.
Thanks Michael. If you ever get a chance to see some of the behind the scenes documentaries on Bruce Lee, there is one that addresses the difficulty in choreographing and filming this scene due to the difference in heights. Kind of interesting. I'm sure you have seen the still of Bruce Lee's leg fully extended over his head, and it barely grazes Kareem's chin.
All signs indicate that Kareem is going to be successful in fighting CML, which is great news. In writing these articles, my hope is always to inform others who may not know they are at risk, so that they can see a doctor before it is too late.
Very informative article.
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