NCAA president Myles Brand revealed Saturday that he has pancreatic cancer.
"The long-term prognosis is not good," Brand wrote to colleagues. "I am currently undergoing chemotherapy, and I am receiving excellent care. I will know in the next several months the success of this treatment."
Pancreatic cancer has a dismal survival rate and is often called a "silent killer" because it is difficult to detect in early stages.
Apple Computer's Steve Jobs and actor Patrick Swayze have battled pancreatic cancer in recent years.
"I will let you know if there is a change in my condition," Brand wrote. "But I do want to take this time to sincerely thank all those who wished me well when they learned that I was ill."
Brand, 66, has been the head of the NCAA since 2003.
Pancreatic cancer is a malignant neoplasm of the pancreas. Each year in the United States, about 42,470 individuals are diagnosed with this condition and 35,240 die from the disease. The prognosis is relatively poor but has improved; the three-year survival rate is now about thirty percent (according to the Washington University School of Medicine), but less than 5 percent of those diagnosed are still alive five years after diagnosis. Complete remission is still rather rare
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