Leukemia Smackdown
- Just ahead of WrestleMania 40 this weekend, superstar wrestler Roman Reigns, 38, has announced that he is still on medication for leukemia.
- Diagnosed with the blood cancer in 2007, Reigns went into remission until the disease surfaced again in 2018, which is when the long-reigning WWE Universal Champion decided to share about his private health challenge. Thankfully he achieved remission status once again the following year.
- The specific type of leukemia that Reigns was fighting is called chronic myeloid leukemia (CML). With CML, blast cells (or immature white blood cells) form and uncontrollably multiply and divide.
- CML treatment has come a long way because of drugs called tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs). These drugs block the abnormal protein made by the CML cells.
- Extensive SurvivorNet CML resources for patients are here.
Diagnosed with the blood cancer in 2007, Reigns went into remission until the disease surfaced again in 2018, which is when the long-reigning WWE Universal Champion decided to share about his private health challenge. Thankfully he achieved remission status once again the following year.
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Elsewhere in the season 4 show, Reigns, born Leati Joseph Anoa’i, shared a message about adversity.
“I think adversity is a constant reminder of what the world is and what life is, and it’s not fair,” he said. “I think it’s a form of resistance training that we have to go through to strengthen ourselves. So I think adversity is a key ingredient to any success story.”
The former football player, who transitioned to wrestling once he got sick, may have had his first dream shattered, but tried a new avenue of success, and catapulted to fame.
Now fans await the Tribal Chief’s ominous “Head of the Table” walkout song as wrestler rival Cody Rhodes fights to steal the title.
Reigns explained the ins and outs of “the biz” on an appearance this week on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon with The Rock who is set to make his long-awaited WWE return
“In the wrestling business, there’s no call sheet,” Reigns told Fallon. “There’s no, you know, like he’s number one, he’s number two, so everybody on our roster believes they’re number one. So it’s just a shark tank.”
.@TheRock and @WWERomanReigns have some thoughts on @CodyRhodes “finishing the story” ahead of @WWE’s #WrestleMania40 ? #FallonTonight pic.twitter.com/MHgwNfUyp7
— The Tonight Show (@FallonTonight) April 4, 2024
“Everybody’s trying to take each other out, and this guy’s been chasing me for two years now,” Reigns continued. “I’ve beaten him. We’ve crossed this bridge already, so this is where we close the book completely on this guy Cody Rhodes… ”
WrestleMania 40 will start at 7 p.m. ET on April 6 and 7, streaming live on Peacock and available on the WWE Network.
Roman Reigns’ Leukemia Announcement
October 22, 2019 on WWE Raw, Anoa’i first announced he had been living with leukemia and due to his condition, he had to step away from the ring in order to take proper time to fight off the disease.
“The reality is my name is Joe and I’ve been living with leukemia for 11 years and unfortunately it’s back,” he said with his eyes welling up with tears. “Because the leukemia is back, I can’t fulfill my role. I can’t be that fighting champion and I’m going to have to relinquish the universal championship.”
RELATED: WWE’s Roman Reigns, 38, Praised By Fan For Choosing To ‘Stay & Elevate’ Amid Leukemia Battle
Added “Joe,” “I’m not going to lie, I’ll take every prayer you can send my way but I’m not looking for sympathy, I’m not looking for you to feel bad for me because I have faith.”
“By no means is this a retirement speech,” Anoa’i added, acknowledging that he may be down, but definitely not out. “Because after I’m done whooping leukemia’s ass once again, I’m coming back home.”
Four months later, Reigns revealed on WWE Raw that he was in remission. “I am so grateful, I am so humbled, and I am so honored to announce this. The good news is I’m in remission, y’all!”
“So with the being said, the Big Dog is back!” he added.
Learning About Leukemia
Leukemia is a disease that usually involves the white blood cells.
White blood cells normally grow and divide in an orderly way when the body needs them. But people with leukemia produce white blood cells that don’t function properly. The treatment options depend on what type of leukemia a person has.
What Is a Blood Cancer – How Is it Different?
There are four basic categories of leukemia: acute leukemia which grows very quickly, chronic leukemia which grows slower, over several years, lymphoid leukemia which grows from a lymphoid cell, and myeloid leukemia which grows from a myeloid cell.
“There can be four categories, if I simplify it down,” said Dr. Nina Shah, a hematologist who specializes in the treatment of multiple myeloma at UCSF Medical Center. “
And that’s sort of the definition of leukemia. In these situations, your bone marrow becomes filled with these cells and, because they’re taking up so much space, cause you to have anemia or low blood count, and doesn’t allow the rest of your blood to work properly to kill infections.”
What Is Chronic Myeloid Leukemia (CML)?
The specific type of leukemia that Reigns was fighting is called chronic myeloid leukemia (CML), also known as chronic myelogenous leukemia. With CML, blast cells (or immature white blood cells) form and uncontrollably multiply and divide. This change in cells creates an abnormal gene called BCR-ABL, which is responsible for turning healthy cells into CML cells.
As the disease progresses, CML cells crowd out healthy cells and eventually build up and spill over into the blood. CML cells can also land in other areas of the body, among them the spleen, intestinal tract, kidneys and lungs. Although CML usually grows fairly slowly, it can also turn into a faster-growing acute leukemia. When this happens, CML may become more difficult to treat.
With early diagnosis and treatment, experts say the prognosis for the disease is very good.
How Is Chronic Myeloid Leukemia (CML) Diagnosed?
“It’s important for patients diagnosed with CML to understand that their prognosis is quite favorable,” Dr. Jay Yang, hematologist, medical oncologist, and leader of the Hematology Oncology Multidisciplinary Team at the Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute in Detroit, previously told SurvivorNet.
“With modern treatments, most patients will go on to live healthy and productive lives with a normal life expectancy.”
Oral Treatment (TKIs) For CML
CML treatment has come a long way because of drugs called tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs). These drugs block the abnormal protein made by the CML cells, eventually killing them. They are especially effective in the earlier phases.
Patients receiving TKIs need to be monitored closely for treatment effectiveness and side effects. Monitoring can include regular lab work and specialized testing, based on the needs of the patient.
What Do Doctors Look For As Patients Undergo Oral Treatment (TKIs) For CML?
While most TKIs have manageable risks, serious side effects can occur and may include damage to the heart and blood vessels, which can present as irregular heartbeat and narrowed blood vessels, liver damage, stomach bleeds, pancreatitis, and blood clots leading to strokes.
There are several TKIs on the market. Those approved as the first line of defense against CML include:
- Imatinib (brand name: Gleevec)
- Dasatinib (brand name: Sprycel)
- Nilotinib (brand name: Tasigna)
- Bosutinib (brand name: Bosulif)
- Ponatinib (brand name: Iclusig)
TKIs, however, are not the only treatment for CML. Chemotherapies and immunotherapies can also be used to treat the disease, and are often combined with TKIs for maximal effect, especially in the advanced phases of CML.
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