The Buffalo Bills Hall-of-Fame quarterback Jim Kelly flew to New York City this week to consult with doctors on how to best fight his battle with cancer. Nine months ago Kelly underwent surgery to remove cancer from his mouth and jaw.
He was diagnosed last year with squamous cell carcinoma. Squamous cells are thin cells found on the surface of the skin and the lining of body cavities, including the mouth.
Kelly had an initial surgery this week to relieve pain on the left side of his face and jaw area. He will have another surgery a week from Tuesday and then is expected to undergo five to six weeks of radiation and chemotherapy.
Erie County Medical Center, the hospital treating Kelly, released a statement saying, “Jim Kelly came to ECMC this week for continued testing related to his oral surgery. Unfortunately, it has been determined that his cancer has returned. Our team of head and neck cancer specialists is determining a course of treatment that will allow Mr. Kelly to battle this cancer successfully. Mr. Kelly has asked that you keep him and his family in your thoughts and prayers.”
Kelly is not a smoker or tobacco chewer. A exact cause of the cancer is uncertain. He played for the Bills from 1986 to 1996, was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2002. He holds nearly all of the franchise’s passing records.
