During the premiere episode of Dancing with the Stars: Athletes, it was mentioned that NBA legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is a cancer survivor. Ten years ago, in 2008, Abdul-Jabbar was diagnosed with Philadelphia chromosome-positive chronic myeloid leukemia (Ph+ CML). It’s a type of blood cancer. Fortunately, it was detected in its early stages. Abdul-Jabbar’s first symptoms were hot flashes and night sweats.
He was treated with two therapies (Gleevec and Tasigna) which target the abnormal protein (produced by what’s known as the Philadelphia chromosome) that caused his leukemia. Since then, Abdul-Jabbar has become a spokesperson for the pharmaceutical company, Novartis, which manufactures both drugs that helped him survive cancer. Dancing with the Stars airs Mondays at 8pm on ABC.
