Giants Tackle Karl Nelson to Begin Chemotherapy

Karl Nelson today said he will begin chemotherapy in a new attempt to arrest a recurrence of his Hodgkin’s disease, but he has not given up hope of playing football again.

Nelson, 28, said doctors have given him an excellent chance of recovery although the New York Giants offensive tackle acknowledged that the cancer had spread and was now located in his neck and chest.

When the cancer was originally diagnosed it was found only in his chest.

Nelson said he had been feeling tired in the final two weeks of the regular season and went to see his doctor for a scheduled three-month checkup in the week leading up to the regular-season finale with the Jets.

“At first I thought I was having a problem with my thyroid medication and that we would need to adjust that,” said Nelson, who missed the 1987 season after the cancer was first detected.

Nelson’s doctor found nothing wrong with the thyroid but discovered a lump in his neck. New were ordered and the reoccurrence of cancer was detected shortly after Christmas.

“I knew in my heart once the doctor found the lump that the Hodgkin’s was back,” said Nelson, whose wife is due to have a baby on Thursday.

Nelson will begin chemotherapy this afternoon at the private office of a doctor whose name he did not disclose.

The therapy will take place twice monthly for six months.

“That should end around the beginning of training camp,” Nelson said. “Maybe I’ll be ready by the end of the season. It all depends on how I react to the chemo and hw the chemo reacts to the cancer.”

Nelson said that doctors have told him that returning to football did not cause the cancer to reoccur.

Giants guard Bill Ard said he didn’t know Nelson had had a reoccurrence.

“Oh Lord, I pray for the man,” Ard said. “It’s just bad news. He’s a wonderful person. He’s a happy person. What a terrible time for this to happen.”