Jason Collins is in the fight of his life. The former NBA player delivered some shocking news on Thursday that he was dealing with advanced brain cancer.
Over a decade ago, the McDonald’s All-American made headlines by becoming the first active NBA player to come out as gay. A few months ago, we learned that he was dealing with a brain tumor, but there were little to no specifics as to exactly what that meant or how bad it was.
Jason played 13 seasons in the NBA before retiring in 2014.
Jason Collins has been diagnosed with Stage 4 glioblastoma
The world now knows the prognosis for Jason, and sadly, it doesn’t look good. “I have Stage 4 glioblastoma, one of the deadliest forms of brain cancer. It came on incredibly fast,” revealed Jason to ESPN.
Glioblastoma is described as an aggressive form of cancer that begins in the brain or spinal cord. According to the Mayo Clinic, there is no cure. Jason says part of what makes it dangerous is that it grows within a very finite, contained space, the skull.
A biopsy showed that the cancer in his brain had a growth factor of 30%. He says what that means is that if nothing were done within a matter of weeks, the tumor would run out of space, and he’d likely be dead within six weeks. He adds that his cancer contains mutations, making it more difficult to treat.
The first sign of trouble came when Jason couldn’t even focus on packing his bags. After he and his partner missed their flight to see the US Open, they got a CT scan with a specialist at UCLA. He says his loved ones learned of the diagnosis while he was behaving strangely in the hospital.
Jason’s treatment involves him taking the drug Avastin, which apparently is the best chance of stopping the tumor from growing. He’s also gotten some radiation treatments to help combat the symptoms of the disease.
When he came out of the closet, many people praised his bravery, including Kobe Bryant. In November, it was revealed that the late superstar’s 2000 NBA Finals ball would be auctioned off.
Jason says he’s getting treatment in Singapore, which offers targeted chemotherapy.
TELL US – SHOULD RESEARCHERS PUT A STRONGER FOCUS ON FINDING CURES FOR BRAIN CANCERS LIKE GLIOBLASTOMA?
