Archives for June 4, 2013

‘”When you hear the word cancer it actually scares the crap out of you,” Kelly told reporters at his celebrity golf tournament Monday. “I know it not only scared me, but it scared my family. But like everything, it’s just another river to cross.”‘

‘”I know I’ll beat it.”‘

‘It seemed somehow fitting for Jim Kelly to tell the world about his jaw cancer at the start of his annual golf tournament Monday.’

‘Oral squamous-cell carcinoma affects about 30,000 Americans each year, according to the Merck Manual, a well-respected medical textbook. In the U.S., 3 percent of cancers in men and 2 percent in women are oral squamous-cell carcinomas, which mostly occur in people older than 50. Typical treatment includes surgery, radiation or both.’

‘The overall five-year survival rate is above 50 percent, but it’s difficult to make broad generalizations about cancers of the head and neck because the treatment and prognosis can vary by site and stage.’

‘Kelly stated that months ago he began feeling pain in his jaw for which he took antibiotics. However, when the pain failed to cease he consulted a dentist and was then referred to an oral surgeon.’

‘He’s got a lot more living to do – and a lot more to accomplish.’

‘ “He’s decisive, he’s tough, he’s hard-nosed, he knows how to play and he’s got a great track record,” continued Polian on Marrone. “That is the first step in the right direction. They have got a coach who knows how to win and has a plan to win. The rest of it now is putting the pieces in place.”‘

‘”I am extremely confident in my road to recovery,” Kelly said in his statement. “I plan to tackle this challenge head on, as we Kellys always do, with toughness, perseverance and faith.”‘

‘Recently, there have been concerns about Kelly, 53.’

”’The first thought is you say a prayer that everything works out OK,” said Bill Polian, former general manager of the Bills. ”Secondly, he didn’t earn a reputation as the toughest guy ever to play quarterback for no reason at all. So if anybody can overcome this, Jim can. He takes challenges head on.”’

‘”I want to thank everyone who has offered their prayers and would appreciate any prayers said for me and my family moving forward. May God continue to bless you and our family.”‘

‘He said he chose to make the announcement before the start of his Kelly For Kids charitable foundation’s annual celebrity golf tournament to prevent news of his cancer first appearing through social media.’

‘Kelly, who led the Buffalo Bills to four straight Super Bowl appearances from 1991 to 1994, said he was recently diagnosed with Squamous-cell carcinoma that is isolated in his upper jaw and that he will have surgery on June 7, according to a statement released through the Pro Football Hall of Fame.’

‘”I have undergone tests which have shown that the cancer is isolated to my upper jaw and has not spread to other parts of my body. Surgery is scheduled for June 7th and doctors have told me that the prognosis for my recovery is very good.”‘