Jim Kelly Won’t Have Surgery For Cancer, Doctors Call Condition ‘Curable’
Jim Kelly will not be having surgery this week for a recurrence of jaw cancer, but despite the change in plans doctors say the cancer is both treatable and curable.
Kelly announced last week that jaw cancer he was treated for last year had come back, and that it was both aggressive and spreading. The former Buffalo Bills quarterback already had surgery to remove a tumor and part of his upper jaw, after which doctors deemed him cancer free.
But the latest recurrence was seen as a major setback for Kelly, with reports that he was in failing health. Pictures of Kelly in a hospital bed with his daughter by his side added to the gravity of the situation.
Jim’s wife Jill Kelly updated fans about the situation on Facebook this week, saying the situation had changed, prompting a new treatment approach.
“At this point and time surgery is not the best option for Jim,” she wrote. “Because of complexity and aggressive nature of this cancer and after more scans and tests, the plan has changed.
“At this point, Jim will not be having surgery. The cancer is in areas that surgery cannot successfully eradicate. Therefore, the medical specialists here in NYC along with our Buffalo team believe that chemotherapy and radiation are the best option.”
Though many took the news as a bad sign for Jim Kelly, doctors have said his prognosis is not without hope.
