Chief's Eric Berry diagnosed with cancer

John Sleezer/Kansas City Star

Throughout the year players are placed on the injured reserve list for various reasons such as torn pectorals and ACL tears. These injuries can take away a player's season, but Eric Berry's designation on the non-football illness list last month is quite more serious than a broken bone or torn muscle.

It was confirmed earlier today at the Winship Cancer Institute at Emory University that Kansas City safety Eric Berry has been diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma.

What is Hodgkin's lymphoma? According to the Mayo Clinic's website:

...a cancer of the lymphatic system, which is part of your immune system.

In Hodgkin's lymphoma, cells in the lymphatic system grow abnormally and may spread beyond the lymphatic system. As Hodgkin's lymphoma progresses, it compromises your body's ability to fight infection.

Hodgkin's lymphoma is one of two common types of cancers of the lymphatic system. The other type, non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, is far more common.

Advances in diagnosis and treatment of Hodgkin's lymphoma have helped give people with this diagnosis the chance for a full recovery. The prognosis continues to improve for people with Hodgkin's lymphoma.

Though Berry is in a challenging medical condition there is light at the end of the tunnel for him. He seemed to be in high spirits when he made a statement earlier today.

My family and I are very grateful for the amount of support we have received over the last couple of weeks. I can’t tell you enough how much I appreciate all the words of encouragement, the blessings and well wishes. 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.

In support of Eric Berry and his road to recovery the Kansas City Chiefs have started selling shirts with the phrase Be Bold Be Brave Be Berry" at Arrowhead stadium and on the team's website. They have also announced that 100% of the proceeds from sales of the shirt will be directed to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.


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