Former NBA player Jason Collins has revealed he is battling stage 4 brain cancer.
In an essay for ESPN, the 47-year-old said he has been diagnosed with stage 4 glioblastoma, one of the most aggressive forms of brain cancer.
Collins said he began experiencing symptoms over the summer and later learned he has a tumor that cannot be safely removed. He has decided to undergo a combination of radiation, targeted chemotherapy and immunotherapy.
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Still, the average prognosis for glioblastoma is 11 to 14 months.
"If that's all the time I have left, I'd rather spend it trying a course of treatment that might one day be a new standard of care for everyone," Collins wrote.
Collins said he wanted to share his diagnosis on his own terms — just as he did when he publicly came out as gay.
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He made history in 2013 as the first openly gay active player in NBA history.
“After I came out, someone I really respect told me that my choice to live openly could help someone who I might never meet,” Collins wrote. “I’ve held onto that for years. And if I can do that again now, then that matters.”
Collins played 13 seasons in the NBA for seven teams, including the New Jersey Nets, Memphis Grizzlies and Boston Celtics.
