ESPN anchor, 48, battles cancer for the THIRD time and says he does not want to know his prognosis
- SportsCenter's Stuart Scott is battling appendiceal cancer for the third time since his first diagnosis in 2007
- He has endured 58 chemotherapy sessions and 3 abdomen surgeries
- But the father-of-two does not want to know the severity of his condition and continues to go to work and train at the gym
PUBLISHED: 12:07 EST, 13 March 2014 | UPDATED: 12:43 EST, 13 March 2014
ESPN anchor Stuart Scott has revealed his grueling treatment schedule as he battles cancer for the third time.
The 48-year-old father-of-two was diagnosed with appendiceal cancer in 2007 and his appendix was removed - but the disease returned four years later and again last year.
He has endured 58 infusions of chemotherapy, has undergone three abdomen surgeries and has switched to a 'fairly toxic' pill to help beat the illness - but he never wants to know quite how bad it is.
'I never ask what stage I'm in,' he told the New York Times. 'I haven't wanted to know.
Fighter: ESPN anchor Stuart Scott, 48, is battling appendiceal cancer for the third time since 2007
'It won't change anything to me. All I know is that it would cause more worry and a higher degree of freakout. Stage 1, 2 or 8, it doesn't matter. I'm trying to fight it the best I can.'
Scott's sister, Susan, added that she knows the truth is 'too weighty' for her brother to hear.
'I think he can only live with this by not even incorporating the potential end of it,' she said. 'It doesn’t mean he doesn’t think about it, but to let it in starts to validate it and gives it more heft.'
Even though each bout of cancer has hit him harder than before, he has continued to work on 'SportsCenter' on ESPN, much to the surprise of his colleagues.
At work: Scott, left, has been with ESPN since 1993 and anchors SportsCenter and NBA and NFL coverage. He is pictured with Trent Dilfer, center, and Ray Lewis, right, during the Super Bowl
Strong: Scott, left and with his girlfriend, right, has a scar along his stomach following three operations
Support: Scott, who is divorced and father to two teenage girls, is pictured with his girlfriend
'There are some days when I say, I don't know how he's doing it,' Mark Gross, a senior vice president for production, told the Times.
The report noted that being on air can drain Scott of energy, but fellow anchor Sage Steele said Scott is good at hiding the pain.
'I've visited while he's been getting chemo; it shook me up,' she said. 'But then I’d put the TV on at 11 that night, and he's still Stuart Scott.'
Scott has been with the network since 1993, and has since appeared on SportsCenter and the network's NFL and NBA programming.
Workout: He has stayed strong with martial arts and cross-training sessions after work saps his energy
Proud dad: Scott, who is divorced, is pictured with daughters Sydni, 14, and Taelor, 19
He spends his off-air time working out with martial arts and cross-training and hanging out with his daughters, 14-year-old Sydni and 19-year-old Taelor, who is now at college.
During his 2008 treatment, Mr Scott said: 'I'm not the type of guy to let this eat up my life. I've got strong faith and family and friends who are tackling this with me.'
He revealed the cancer diagnosis in a series of Twitter messages last year, telling followers he was 'back in the fight' but that he would battle with 'all C survivors &loved ones'.
An ESPN spokesman said that Mr Scott 'plans to continue to work the best he can around his treatments'.[/IMG]
