Ex-NBA player Jason Collins, the first openly gay man in major US pro sports, is battling stage 4 glioblastoma and undergoing treatment in Singapore.
LOS ANGELES: Former NBA player Jason Collins has revealed he is fighting stage 4 glioblastoma, a highly aggressive form of brain cancer.
Collins, who became the first openly gay man to play in a major US professional sports league, disclosed the diagnosis in an interview with ESPN.
The 47-year-old said his symptoms, including memory loss and an inability to focus, escalated rapidly in August.
“I had been having weird symptoms like this for a week or two, but unless something is really wrong, I’m going to push through. I’m an athlete,” Collins said.
A CT scan soon revealed the seriousness of his condition, a “multiforme” glioblastoma growing so quickly it could be fatal within weeks.
He began treatment with medication, radiation, and chemotherapy with the support of his husband, Brunson Green, and family.
Collins is now pursuing innovative treatment at a clinic in Singapore, a decision he compares to his choice to come out publicly.
“I feel like I’m right back in that position now, where I might be the first person through this wall,” he said.
He vowed to aggressively fight the disease with a combination of established and experimental therapies.
“We’re going to try to hit it first, in ways it’s never been hit: with radiation and chemotherapy and immunotherapy that’s still being studied,” Collins stated.
He recalled his grandmother’s own battle with stage 4 stomach cancer and her aversion to the word “cancer”.
“I don’t care if you say the word,” he said. “I have cancer, but just like my grandmother fought it, I’m going to fight it.” – AFP
