Hall of Fame QB Jim Kelly Declared Cancer-Free After Clean MRI Scan
January 19, 2019
Former Buffalo Bills quarterback Jim Kelly, who has been diagnosed with squamous cell carcinoma in his upper jaw three times in five years, was deemed cancer-free after an MRI on Friday, per Jack Baer of Yahoo Sports.
Jill Kelly delivered the news of her husband's test results in an Instagram post.
Kelly's cancer was initially diagnosed in 2013, but it returned in 2014 and 2018. According to Henry L. Davis of the Buffalo News, "doctors at Erie County Medical Center removed part of the upper jaw, part of the roof of his mouth and numerous teeth" in 2013. When the cancer returned one year later, it had "spread to his maxillary sinus cavity and adjacent tissues."
Kelly has been an outspoken advocate for cancer patients and has encouraged people to take the "Your Cancer Game Plan Challenge," which healio.com describes as a "national awareness campaign [that] celebrates patient advocates who dedicate their lives to helping individuals with cancer and their loved ones."
He also accepted the Jimmy V Award for Perseverance at the 2018 ESPYs.
Kelly, who played in Buffalo from 1986-1996, led the Bills to four AFC Championships between 1991-1994. A five-time Pro Bowler, Kelly was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2002.
