Published Feb 3, 2025

Honoring ‘Miracle Man’ Daniel Jacobs, First Cancer Survivor To Win Boxing Title, On His 38th Birthday— How His Sport Gave Him The ‘Mental Strength’ and ‘Capacity’ To Knock Out Osteosarcoma

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Understanding Sarcoma Cancer

In honor of former professional boxer and “Miracle Man” Daniel Jacobs, who beat a rare form of bone cancer called osteosarcoma and returned to the boxing ring, has just turned 38. His resilience through adversity is something man cancer patients can look up to.
Jacobs was 24 years old when he was diagnosed osteosarcoma in May 2011. He beat the disease about a year and a half later after following radiation treatment and surgery. By October 2012, he was cancer-free and returned to his beloved sport.
The word sarcoma refers to a large array of bone and soft tissue cancers. Those are then further broken down into more specific forms of the disease; there are more than 50 types of soft tissue sarcomas.
Understanding the signs and symptoms of osteosarcoma, the type of sarcoma Jacobs battled, is crucial for early detection and effective treatment. While these symptoms can vary depending on the tumor’s size and location, there are common indicators to be aware of, such as pain in the affected bone, swelling or a lump at the tumor sight, as well as bone weakness or fractures.
Overcoming adversity can seem daunting but having a plan can make it feel achievable. It’s important to remember know that setting goals and breaking them into smaller steps is key. When going through a difficult time try setting a goal, making a plan, relying on others, and using positive self talk

In honor of former professional boxer Daniel Jacobs, who was dubbed the “miracle man” after beating a rare form of bone cancer called osteosarcoma, turning 38—we can’t help but admire the father of one for his resilience through battling cancer and returning to his beloved sport.

Jacob’s, who retired just last year, was diagnosed with osteosarcoma at the age of 24 in May 2011, a type of cancer he was diagnosed with after experiencing weakness in his legs, as the symptom led to the discovery of a tumor wrapped around his spine. After undergoing radiation and surgery, he made a full recover on in October 2012.

The American Cancer Society (ACS) explains how osteosarcoma, also known as osteogenic sarcoma, is the most common type of cancer that initiates in the bones. “The cancer cells in these tumors look like early forms of bone cells that normally help make new bone tissue, but the bone tissue in an osteosarcoma is not as strong as that in normal bones,” the ACS adds. Additionally, this type of sarcoma mostly occurs in children, teens and young adults, all ages can develop this disease.

What You Need to Know About Osteosarcoma

Despite his health battle, Jacobs ultimatly held the World Boxing Association middleweight title between 2014 and 2017, in addition to the International Boxing Federation middleweight title from 2018 to 2019.

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The Brooklyn-native wrote in a retirement announcement post on Instagram last year, “I want to show my gratitude and appreciation to the sport of boxing as it has changed my life in ways I never could imagine it has instilled so many morals and values I wouldn’t have learned otherwise. Boxing made me the man I am today.

“It has always been my dream to be a champion in life and when boxing found me, I was a poor kid growing up in Brownsville Brooklyn with not much to look forward to. … Proud to say I’m a living example of what it looks like to take your destiny and your own hands And when you embrace yourself and God-given talents, what all you could achieve.”

After thanking his family for their “unconditional love and support,” as well as his son Nathaniel for “being the reason I fight and the reason I live! my biggest motivator,” he concluded, “Through the ups and downs inside & out of the ring, I have manage to become 2x world champion and I’m able to say I’m the first cancer Survivor to be a boxing world champion the biggest accomplishment I’ve ever could achieve.

“Being able to inspire others with my story has always made me feel like my life meant more than just fighting inside the ring. A true miracle man. Job well done.”

Daniel Jacobs’ Osteosarcoma Fight

In an earlier interview with Coping Magazine, Jacobs explained how he first began feeling weak in his legs while overseas on a USO tour for troops in 2011. When he returned home, his symptoms worsened and he needed a cane to walk. After his doctor initially dismissed his weakness as due to a pinched nerve or issue with his sciatic, he was hardly able to walk two weeks later.

An MRI then unveiled a large tumor that was wrapped around his spin, leading to his osteosarcoma diagnosis.

Jacobs told Coping, “It completely turned my world upside down. It was heartbreaking as a professional boxer being at the peak of my career. Everything that I had worked so hard for, I finally had the opportunity to explore … And then it all came crashing down.”

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He then powered through and underwent 35 rounds of radiation and had the tumor taken out, in addition to spinal fusion surgery.

“I’ve never experienced any pain like that before. It felt like I had a log in my back for months […]. For a long period of time, I was depressed,” Jacobs, who was unsure if he’d ever have the ability to walk again, added.

Despite be told he couldn’t return to boxing, he strived to get back to normalcy, explaining, “I remember being so weak during physical therapy that I couldn’t even lift a dumbbell. A five-pound dumbbell! Could you imagine being a world-class athlete, one of the strongest, baddest guys in your sport, and not being able to lift a dumbbell? That was really hard to swallow.

“I just looked at it as another opponent inside the ring that was trying to defeat me.Boxing teaches you that it’s mind over matter at all costs. Boxing allowed me to have the mental strength and capacity to overcome it.”

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Jacobs, who returned to the ring in October 2012 after becoming cancer-free, concluded with some words of wisdom for his fans, saying, “If you don’t go through the tough challenges, you’re never going to know what you’re made of.

“I know that there’s nothing in life that I can’t take on and that I can’t accomplish. It was a matter of life and death for me, and I’ve beaten one of the worst things in this world – cancer. So, for me, the mental strength I’ve gotten from this is priceless.”

The following year, he founded the Get in the Ring Foundation, to help fight childhood cancer, bullying, and obesity.

All About Sarcoma Cancer

Sarcomas are cancers that arise from the cells that hold the body together. They can occur in muscles, nerves, bones, fat, tendons, cartilage or other forms of connective tissues.

“There are hundreds of different kinds of sarcomas, which come from different kinds of cells,” Dr. George Demetri, director of the Sarcoma and Bone Oncology Center at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Harvard Medical School, previously told SurvivorNet.

The word sarcoma refers to a large array of bone and soft tissue cancers; those are then further broken down into more specific forms of the disease, however, we will not list them all as there are more than 50 types of soft tissue sarcomas.

“Sarcomas are rare and the cause in most patients is unknown,” Dr. Vishal Gupta, site director of Radiation Oncology at The Blavatnik Family Chelsea Medical Center at Mount Sinai, also told SurvivorNet in an earlier interview.

The word sarcoma refers to a large array of bone and soft tissue cancers, and individual cancers within that set go by unique names. For instance, other types of sarcomas include:

Ewing’s sarcoma is a cancer that typically occurs in and around the bones, often in the arms or legs, or the bones of the pelvis. It most commonly occurs in children and young adults.
Kaposi sarcoma is a very rare type of cancer that causes lesions on the skin, in lymph nodes, organs, and the mucous membranes of the mouth, nose, and throat. It typically affects people with compromised immune systems, such as those with HIV.
Epithelioid sarcoma is a type of soft tissue cancer that grows slowly. It is likely to begin under the skin of areas like the finger, hand, forearm, lower part of the leg, or foot.
Synovial sarcoma, also called malignant synovioma, is a cancer that can form soft tissues such as muscle or ligaments, commonly close to joints or in areas like the arm, leg, or foot.
Osteogenic sarcoma, also called osteosarcoma, starts in the bone, often as it is forming as a young person grows. This is the type of cancer Daniel Jacobs battled.
Spindle cell sarcoma is very rare, comprising as little as 2 percent of all primary bone cancer cases. It can start in the bone, often in the arms, legs, and pelvis, and usually occurs in people over 40.
Angiosarcoma: a rare cancer that develops in the inner lining of blood vessels and lymph vessels. It can occur anywhere in the body but is most often found in the skin, breast, liver and spleen.

Understanding the Signs & Symptom of Osteosarcoma

The typical symptom of sarcomas is a slow-growing, painless mass. But sarcoma can be hard to detect through symptoms. “Unfortunately, most sarcomas do not cause many of the symptoms that may be associated with other cancer,” Dr. Dale Shepard, director of the Cleveland Clinic Taussig Cancer Institute Phase I and Sarcoma Programs, told SurvivorNet in an earlier interview.

Shepard explains that this often leads to large tumors at the time of diagnosis. “Soft tissue sarcomas are typically painless,” he says.

“Bone sarcomas may be mistaken for orthopedic injuries. A mass the size of a golf ball or larger and growing should be evaluated as a potential sarcoma. It’s important that patients who do have symptoms are not dismissive of them.”

Meanwhile, understanding the signs and symptoms of osteosarcoma, the type of sarcoma Jacobs battled, is crucial for early detection and effective treatment. While these symptoms can vary depending on the tumor’s size and location, there are common indicators to be aware of.

Key signs and symptoms of osteosarcoma may consist of:

Pain: The most frequent symptom is pain in the affected bone, often described as a dull ache. It may initially be intermittent and worsen at night or with physical activity. Over time, the pain can become more constant.
Swelling or Lump: Swelling or a noticeable lump may appear at the tumor site. This swelling can be variable, sometimes appearing weeks after the onset of pain.
Bone Weakness and Fractures: Osteosarcoma can weaken the bone, making it more susceptible to fractures. These fractures can occur with minimal trauma or even during normal activities.
Other Possible Symptoms: In some cases, there may be a limited range of motion in the nearby joints, especially if the tumor is near a joint. Weight loss and fatigue are less common but can occur, especially in more advanced stages.

Differentiating from Other Conditions:

It’s important to note that these symptoms are not exclusive to osteosarcoma and can be caused by other, more common conditions. However, persistent pain, swelling, or other changes in bone health should always be evaluated by a healthcare professional.

If these symptoms are present and osteosarcoma is suspected, the next step is a thorough diagnostic evaluation. This typically involves imaging tests and a biopsy to confirm the diagnosis. We will delve into the diagnostic process in the following section, providing a clear understanding of what to expect and how osteosarcoma is definitively diagnosed.

Carcinoma Vs. Sarcoma Explained

Dr. Gupta explains to SurvivorNet that the main difference between a sarcoma and a carcinoma is where they originate. “”A sarcoma typically occurs in soft/connective tissues of the body such as fat, muscle, blood vessels, bones, and nerves whereas a carcinoma typically occurs in organs such as the lung, prostate and breast.”

Or as Dr. Shepard puts it, a carcinoma comes from the cells that line organs (think lung, colon, or prostate), while a sarcoma comes from the cells that otherwise make up the organ: “Sarcomas are tumors in what people are made from after the organs are removed.”

Sarcomas may be treated by surgery, radiation therapy, and chemotherapy. Many patients benefit from treatment with more than one of these methods, Dr. Shepard explains.

Sarcoma Survivor Kara Ladd found solace in Reiki, Meditation, and Energy Healing During Treatment

“More than other types of cancer, the benefits of multidisciplinary care should prompt most patients to be seen by a group that specializes in treating sarcoma.” Dr. Shepard says.

“Even if only for a second opinion or to develop a treatment plan, multidisciplinary care is crucial. As examples, patients may benefit from surgical resection or radiation therapy even with metastatic disease. Patients may benefit from the addition of chemotherapy to radiation therapy prior to surgery to resect a sarcoma.”

Resilience Through Adversity & Overcoming Adversity

SurvivorNet specializes in covering the lives of people who overcome seemingly insurmountable obstacles, like Daniel Jacobs has done. Often, seeing the positive helps them maintain their resilience.

Dr. Zuri Murrell, an oncologist at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, spoke to SurvivorNet about the role of a positive outlook on survival rates: “I’m pretty good at telling what kind of patient are going to still have this attitude and probably going to live the longest, even with bad, bad disease. And those are patients who, they have gratitude in life.”

Meanwhile, resilience is an important trait, but not the easiest to build. When building resilience, the ultimate goal is not to avoid tough times, but to be able to bounce back from them. And yet, when they are faced with an overwhelming, life-changing situation, how do people shift their view? How do they learn to see the problem as temporary, rather than permanent, and figure out a solution?

It’s complicated, because building resilience is more about your mental and emotional fortitude than anything else. According to the American Psychological Association, “the resources and skills associated with more positive adaptation (i.e., greater resilience) can be cultivated and practiced.” In other words, resilience is not something you’re born with, which should be encouraging. Instead, after every challenge in your life, you build more and more resilience to those hard times.

Building resilience is down in the same way you build muscle, through patience and steady exercise of the skill.

Some lessons learned from other cancer warriors SurvivorNet has covered include being willing to learn, spending time with people who inspire you, allowing yourself to grieve, being flexible, and leaning in to your community for support.

Adversity And The Art of Happiness: How Hardship Makes You Even Stronger

Meanwhile, overcoming adversity can seem daunting. Many people think reciting upbeat mottos or pretending to be cheerful will help, but these solutions can make someone feel even more dejected than before. Instead, pay attention to the following steps to make meaningful change.

Set a goal. No matter what the situation, create a new goal for yourself. If you have just been diagnosed with cancer or a chronic illness, perhaps one goal would be to educate yourself about the disease and the possible treatments as much as possible.
Make a plan. How will you achieve this goal? Your plan will help you focus on that goal. Dr. Siddhartha Ganguly refers to this determined, focused mindset as “the eye of the tiger,” which can help people dealing with health problems, such as lymphoma and other cancers. “You have to have the eye of the tiger to go through this grueling process that is necessary these days to get rid of these virulent and aggressive cancers,” Dr. Ganguly, a cancer specialist at Houston Methodist, told SurvivorNet in an earlier interview.
Rely on others. Spend time with people who show you unconditional support and encouragement. They will alleviate your stress and help you remember that you’re not alone in this! Dr. Samantha Boardman, a psychiatrist and author, previously told SurvivorNet that one “coping strategy that can be productive is reaching out and talking to others. Having support we know is really critical in the healing process.”
Use positive self-talk. Leave messages with affirmations in places you frequent. Put notes around your mirror or the computer screen that say “You got this! or “Keep going!” Cut out inspirational quotes from people you admire and surround yourself with their words. Dr. Boardman explained to SurvivorNet that “Positive emotions have unique benefits above and beyond managing negative emotions.”

Facing Cancer: How to Turn Stress into Strength

If you’ve been through a difficult health challenge or any type of adversity throughout your live, Dr. Boardman told SurvivorNet in an earlier interview that one way to get your mental health back in check after a diagnosis is to try to play up your strengths.

“I sometimes will ask patients, tell me about yourself when you were at your best,” she explained. “Using that story, trying to figure out what strengths come to mind. Is it patience? Is it appreciation of beauty? It is perseverance? [Then we can] use those strengths in constructive ways to navigate their cancer journey.”

Dr. Boardman says another way to approach harnessing the strength you already have is by tapping into your values. This could be family, close friendships, spirituality, or commitment to a healthy lifestyle.

Reminding yourself of what your values are and how you are living accordingly is another way to unleash that inner strength.