John Hartson diagnosed with cancer

[Neko Bazu]

www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/leagues/scottishpremier/celtic/5815715/John-Hartson-diagnosed-with-brain-cancer.html

Former Celtic striker John Hartson has been diagnosed with testicular cancer and told the illness has spread to his brain.

The 34-year-old was given the news over the weekend after going to hospital last Friday suffering with horrendous headaches.

According to the Sun, tests were carried out at the Singleton Hospital in Swansea where Hartson was told the news and where the former Arsenal and West Ham player is believed to be starting a course of chemotherapy.

A close friend told the paper: "He told me he had been complaining of having really bad headaches recently. It reached the stage where he felt something was seriously wrong so went to hospital on Friday.

“The doctors did a load of tests and decided to keep him in over the weekend - they have done every scan and test imaginable and diagnosed that he has testicular cancer which has spread up to his brain.

"But the doctors are upbeat about his prospects and chemotherapy will begin right away - big John’s not giving up hope."

The article's writers apparently forgot this, but he was of course a Luton player too, spending his first three seasons with us, playing 54 times and scoring 11, before being sold for a then-record (for a teenager) £2.5m to Arsenal.

Met him once when I was about 7 years old; was a little intimidating (him being over 6ft and everything ) but seemed like a nice guy. Get well soon, John

[GresleyRam©®™]

That is nasty - wouldnt wish that on anyone!

Hope he gets through it.

[Lollipop]

That's awful

[El Morto La Hoja!]

i'm pretty sure he was diagnosed with testicular cancer years ago, and the story is that its spreading to his brain....

... anywho best of luck to him.

[LondonWolf]

Lungs now also..

[MRMILLWALL]

Best of luck to him, makes you think though hes my age.

[Neko Bazu]

Jul 15, 2009 12:15:25 GMT -1 LondonWolf said:

Lungs now also..

Shit

Really hope he pulls through; that sounds a damned sight grimmer now, though...

[Neko Bazu]

news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/8151728.stm

Former Wales, Arsenal and Celtic striker John Hartson is in a critical condition after emergency surgery on his brain following a cancer diagnoses.

At the weekend, 34-year-old Hartson was told he had testicular cancer which had spread to his brain.

On Wednesday, doctors confirmed it was also present in his lungs.

The father-of-three had undergone surgery at Morriston Hospital in Swansea, after being transferred from the city's Singleton Hospital.

A hospital statement read: "He is currently being cared for by the critical care team at Morriston and is receiving round-the-clock care aiming to stabilise his condition.

"He will resume radiotherapy and chemotherapy as soon as possible."

Fuuuuuuuuuck...

[MRMILLWALL]

Jul 15, 2009 13:31:07 GMT -1 Neko Bazu said:

news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/8151728.stm

Former Wales, Arsenal and Celtic striker John Hartson is in a critical condition after emergency surgery on his brain following a cancer diagnoses.

At the weekend, 34-year-old Hartson was told he had testicular cancer which had spread to his brain.

On Wednesday, doctors confirmed it was also present in his lungs.

The father-of-three had undergone surgery at Morriston Hospital in Swansea, after being transferred from the city's Singleton Hospital.

A hospital statement read: "He is currently being cared for by the critical care team at Morriston and is receiving round-the-clock care aiming to stabilise his condition.

"He will resume radiotherapy and chemotherapy as soon as possible."

Fuuuuuuuuuck...

Lung cancer is a very very aggressive form of cancer, lost a couple of family members to lung cancer over the last few years.

[DTR]

Very Sad news

[Neko Bazu]

Just thinking about it, didn't Lance Armstrong's testicular cancer spread to his brain and lungs also? There's some hope, if that is the case!

[Billy]

Jul 16, 2009 7:15:49 GMT -1 Neko Bazu said:

Just thinking about it, didn't Lance Armstrong's testicular cancer spread to his brain and lungs also? There's some hope, if that is the case!

yes it did - can only hope John Hartson recovers the same as Armstrong did

[Neko Bazu]

Hartson's Relief At Cancer News

Former Wales international footballer John Hartson has spoken of his relief at being told cancer has been "virtually eradicated" from his body.

The ex-Arsenal and Celtic striker was diagnosed in July with testicular cancer that had spread to his brain.

He was admitted to hospital in his home city of Swansea, where he was told the disease had also spread to his lungs.

Hartson, 34, said: "I'm not out of the woods yet, though this is my brightest day for a long time."

The footballer underwent emergency surgery after he was diagnosed with cancer and at one stage he was given a "50-50 chance" of surviving.

He went home from hospital in Swansea in August after completing the first phase of his chemotherapy treatment.

His agent Mark Brodie released a statement saying the cancer had been "virtually eradicated".

However, he said the footballer, who went on to become a TV pundit, still has an "arduous journey ahead to complete recovery" and requires extensive surgery to remove "abnormal masses" in his lung and brain over the forthcoming months.

But Hartson said the latest news is a huge boost.

"We've all been through so much and to get the news from the doctors that the cancer is going from me is fantastic," he said.

"I would like to thank every single person that has taken the time to either write to me, phone me or leave a message online, your ongoing support is helping me through the battle of my life and is keeping Sarah and the kids upbeat in such terrifying circumstances.

"I'm not out of the woods yet, though this is my brightest day for a long time."

He said well-wishers including cyclist and cancer survivor Lance Armstrong, and Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger, had kept him fighting.

Hartson told BBC Wales last month that he wished he could turn the clock back four years and act as soon as he found a lump.

"From the first minute I felt a lump in my testicle I would be in the doctors," he said.

"You're never too busy are you - there's no excuses, I should have gone and had it checked out.

"I wouldn't have gone through all the rigmarole I've gone through possibly, the operations and everything else.

"I think I'd have had it nipped in the bud, avoided lots of chemo and operations."

He now wants to use his public profile to highlight the need for self-checking.

He hopes to get back into football once his treatment is completed and he has all the necessary coaching badges to enable him to resume his career once he is well enough.

He is also looking forward to the birth of his fourth child - his second with partner Sarah McManus, whom he plans to marry.

He already has two other children from a previous relationship.