Chiefs" Berry will begin treatment for Hodgkin"s lymphoma

Hodgkin"s Lymphoma - CRASH! USMLE Step 2 and 3

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Pro Bowl safety Eric Berry has been diagnosed with Hodgkin"s lymphoma and will begin chemotherapy treatment immediately to attack the cancerous tumor in his chest.

The announcement was made on Monday by the Chiefs and the Emory University Hospital"s Winship Cancer Institute in Atlanta. That"s where Berry will receive treatment.

"This is a diagnosis that is very treatable and potentially curable with standard chemotherapy approaches," said Dr. Christopher R. Flowers, director of the Emory Lymphoma Program. "The goal of Mr. Berry"s treatment is to cure his lymphoma, and we are beginning that treatment now."

After the Chiefs-Raiders game on Nov. 20, Berry complained of discomfort in his chest, and two rounds of tests revealed the tumor.

Monday"s medical report did not indicate surgery was contemplated at this time. Instead, Berry will undergo chemotherapy with an outside chance he may also undergo radiation treatments; both are part of the normal treatment protocol for lymphoma.

Hodgkin"s lymphoma is a cancer of the lymphatic system, which is part of the immune system. Cells in the lymphatic system grow abnormally and may spread beyond the lymphatic system. As Hodgkin"s lymphoma progresses, it compromises the body"s ability to fight infection.

Advances in diagnosis and treatment of Hodgkin"s lymphoma have helped give people with this diagnosis the chance for a full recovery. Recent studies have indicated a five-year survival rate of 85 percent in those diagnosed with Hodgkin"s lymphoma.

Berry released a statement through the team, thanking everyone for the support he has received over the last two weeks.

"I can"t tell you enough how much I appreciate all the words of encouragement, the blessings and well wishes," Berry said. "I want to thank the Emory University School of Medicine, along with Dr. Flowers and his team, for all of their hard work and effort in diagnosing and creating a plan for me to battle this thing. I will embrace this process and attack it the same way I do everything else in life. G*d has more than prepared me for it. For everyone sharing similar struggles, I"m praying for you and keep fighting!"

At this time, there"s no prognosis for Berry"s return to athletic activity or the field.

NOTES: RB Jamaal Charles was being treated Monday for ankle and knee injuries that were aggravated during the loss to Arizona. Charles" left ankle was under a pileup of players during the first half. It was the same ankle he injured in Week 2 against Denver. The knee was injured against the Broncos in the Nov. 30 game between the teams. Coach Andy Reid said the knee was swollen and "a bit tender" on Monday. ... DE Allen Bailey and WR Junior Hemingway have not been cleared under the NFL concussion protocol to begin practicing, coach Andy Reid said. ... OLB Justin Houston continues to maintain his NFL lead in sacks. He picked up two more against Arizona and has 16. That"s the second-best sack year in franchise history, topped only by Derrick Thomas" 20 sacks in 1990. The NFL record is 22.5 sacks, by former New York Giants defensive end Michael Strahan in 2001.

REPORT CARD VS. CARDINALS

--PASSING OFFENSE: C -- Alex Smith completed 67 percent of his throws for an average of 7.5 yards per attempt, but he spent most of the game on the run due to poor pass protection. Arizona dropped him five times and hit him on eight more passing plays. Smith took off running away from pressure four times. Tight end Travis Kelce had 110 yards on seven catches, but his big fourth-quarter fumble killed the Chiefs" last chance to win.

--RUSHING OFFENSE: C -- The Chiefs are still having trouble getting the ball in Jamaal Charles" hands enough, as he had just 10 carries against the Cardinals. The big one went for 63 yards and a touchdown, but the rest of the game he struggled, with nine carries for 28 yards. The play-calling did not rely on balancing up the offense as much as in the past, especially given the fact that the Chiefs led until late in the third quarter.

--PASS DEFENSE: C -- Coverage adjustments helped the Chiefs keep Arizona quarterback Drew Stanton on edge and he completed just half of his 30 throws. But when it came time to make the play that counted, Stanton connected on a 26-yard touchdown throw that gave the Cardinals the winning points.

--RUSH DEFENSE: D -- The Cardinals were without leading rusher Andre Ellington, but just-off-the-practice-squad running back Kerwynn Williams banged the Chiefs" defense for 100 yards on 19 carries. He broke away only once (for 16 yards), but hit the Chiefs with a series of 4-, 5- and 6-yard runs. When Arizona wanted to go physical with some between-the-tackles running, Williams got the job done.

--SPECIAL TEAMS: C -- Neither team found much to goose their games from their kicking units. The Chiefs returned five kicks for an average of 30 yards but none of them were close to breaking out. De"Anthony Thomas averaged just 1.3 yards on three punt returns. Coverage units were solid, giving up only a 43-yard kick return to Ted Ginn on the first play of the game. Cairo Santos and Dustin Colquitt were solid if unspectacular with their feet.

--COACHING: D -- The Chiefs have lost three straight games, and losing to Arizona was not a good way to start the all-important month of December. The Chiefs racked up 390 yards, their best yardage total in nine games, but they scored just two touchdowns. The defense wasn"t perfect, but a solid performance was wasted by an offense that couldn"t find the end zone. Time is running out for Andy Reid and his staff to right the ship.

Source: http://www.kspr.com/sports/chiefs-berry-will-begin-treatment-for-hodgkins-lymphoma/21051914_30125670