Los Angeles - Basketball legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar has revealed that he has a rare form of leukaemia but says his prognosis is good and that he expects to lead a healthy life. In an interview in Tuesday's Los Angeles Times, Abdul-Jabbar, 62, said that he has Philadelphia chromosome-positive chronic myeloid leukaemia, a cancer of the blood and bone marrow that produces cancerous blood cells.
The former talisman for the Los Angeles Lakers said that the disease was diagnosed last December, but that the condition can be managed by taking oral medication daily, seeing his specialist every other month and getting his blood analyzed regularly.
"The fact that you can manage the disease means that you can live your life," Abdul-Jabbar said.
"The fact that you have to go and get your blood analyzed and consult with your doctor might be a minor inconvenience, or you have to take your medication every day. But if you do these things, you can lead a normal live."
The all-time top scorer in the NBA said he learned of his disease when he went to the doctor after experiencing hot flashes. He said his lifelong healthy habits were responsible for the early leukaemia detection.
"If it wasn't for my health-consciousness, I would have just passed on the effects (of the leukaemia symptoms) as something I could ignore," Abdul-Jabbar said. "But I felt it didn't make sense to ignore it."
Abdul-Jabbar acknowledged he was scared after visiting his doctor and learning of the diagnosis. He said he was speaking up in order to shed light on the ailment.
"The word 'leukaemia' is a very frightening word," he said. "In many instances, it's a killer and it's something that you have to deal with in a very serious and determined way if you are going to beat it."
