Kansas City Chiefs safety Eric Berry, 25, has been diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma, a type of cancer. A few weeks ago, Berry complained of chest discomfort after the Chiefs played the Oakland Raiders on November 20. A mass was found in his chest. The good news is that Dr. Christopher Flowers, a lymphoma specialist at Emory University Hospital who is treating Berry, said Berry’s diagnosis is “very treatable and potentially curable with standard chemotherapy.”
The most common symptom of Hodgkin’s is the enlargement of one or more lymph nodes usually in the neck, shoulders and/or chest. Other signs and symptoms include itchy skin, night sweats, and unexplained weight loss. Other athletes who have been diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma include Hall of Fame NHL player Mario Lemieux (he made a comeback in 2000) and MLB All-Star first baseman for the Chicago Cubs Anthony Rizzo, who was successfully treated with chemotherapy in 2008.
