Former Green Bay, New England, and Cleveland football player Joe Andruzzi has just completed the first of a 12-step series of chemotherapy treatments for Burkitt's lymphoma, a form of non-Hodgkins lymphoma.

Andruzzi, married and dad to four children, was released by the Browns on May 2 so he and his family could move to New Jersey. Then last week, Andruzzi began experiencing abdominal pain and other symptoms. He consulted with the Browns' medical staff, underwent a colonoscopy, learned an abnormality was found, and then headed to Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston where he was diagnosed with Burkitt's.

The cure rate for Burkitt's -- a rapidly growing, rare form of cancer that strikes only 100 people in the United States each year -- is about 80 percent if patients receive intensive therapy, according to the National Cancer Institute. The other patient survival factor is the stage of the disease. Andruzzi's stage has not been publicly reported.

Denver Nuggets coach George Karl missed his team's match-up against the Lakers Tuesday night so he could spend some quality time with his son, Coby, who had surgery for the removal of cancerous lymph nodes on Monday.

Coby Karl, 23, spent seven hours in surgery. It was his second surgery in 13 months -- he had his thyroid removed last year after he was diagnosed with a treatable form of cancer called papillary carcinoma. Chemotherapy followed the first surgery to kill off any remaining cancer cells.

All reports indicate both Karls are doing fine and Coach Karl, who has been surviving prostate cancer since 2005, was back to his coaching duties last night. His team took on the Sacramento Kings -- and won.

Coby Karl is taking it easy for now. He just recently finished his final season with Boise State University where he led the Broncos with 14.8 points per game. He's still a great athlete, but right now, his health comes first.

"He's a young kid, he's a promising basketball player," Lakers coach Phil Jackson said. "The most important thing is his health."

New York Yankees legend and sports broadcaster Bobby Murcer will undergo surgery today at MD Anderson Hospital in Houston for a brain tumor, according to a New York Daily News published report. Murcer, who is 60, had been experiencing headaches and a lack of energy. The tumor was found during an MRI performed on Christmas eve.

Murcer is quoted by the newspaper as saying, "I'm feeling OK and we're just going to have to see what this surgery will bring. I'm hopeful that everything will turn out OK and I'm thankful to have so many friends who are rooting for me."

Murcer played professional baseball for 17 seasons. According to Wikipedia's profile, "A shortstop in the minor leagues, Murcer was slated to be the Yankees' third baseman but ended up being the center fielder following in the footsteps of Mickey Mantle and Joe DiMaggio. Almost anyone would suffer in comparison to those members of the Baseball Hall of Fame, but Murcer did well enough during the years the Yankees finished in the second division to become one of the team's most popular players of that era."

Murcer played for the New York Yankees, San Francisco Giants, and the Chicago Cubs before returning to play for the Yankees again. He retired and became a sports broadcaster for the Yankees, going on to win three Emmy Awards for live sports coverage.

Director Robert Altman, one of the most influential forces in American cinema, died of complications from cancer on Monday. He was 81.

A five-time Academy Award nominee and 2006 Lifetime Achievement Oscar recipient, Altman just recently directed A Prairie Home Companion -- while at the same time battling the cancer that just took his life.

Altman worked while fighting cancer for last 18 months. No one expected he would die. His death was a surprise.

Not surprising is the collection of quality work Altman had under his belt. He is known for his work on the dark war comedy M-A-S-H, the Hollywood farce The Player, and the British murder mystery Gosford Park. Altman is also known for his method of assembling large casts and weaving in and out of storylines. A Prairie Home Companion modeled this approach, featuring a cast including Lily Tomlin, Meryl Streep, Woody Harrelson, Kevin Kline, and Lindsay Lohan.

Altman was born in 1925, served as a World War II pilot, and studied engineering before entering the film business. Married three times, Altman is survived by his wife, Kathryn Reed Altman, and six children. He also has 12 grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.

Bob Mathias was a two-time Olympic decathlon champion and also became a four term Republican Congressman. His brother said that the cause of death was cancer.

In a statement by the chairman of the United States Olympic Committee, Peter Ueberroth said "Bob Mathias was one of those rare individuals with the ability to inspire a nation through his determination and perseverance. He was a champion in every aspect of life, and he embraced the values that make our country and the worldwide Olympic movement special"

In 1948, the 17 year old Mathias became the youngest male to win an Olympic gold medal.

Why don't more people stick with an exercise routine? Perhaps in part because it gets repetitious and boring. Exercise can be a lonely activity and it is more difficult to keep yourself motivated. Personal trainers have always been a remedy for both of the aforementioned problems, but realistically, how many of us can afford a personal trainer?

According to iTrain, with an MP3 player you can now download customized workouts with a personal trainer. The downloads are set to music and combines modern technology, entertainment, and health in a portable format. It doesn't matter what kind of workout you enjoy, iTrain seems to offer a program. There is iTread, iCycle, iClimb, iStrength, iSculpt Traditional and iSculpt Ballet, iStretch, iTeenTrain Hip Hop, iTeenTrain Kick Boxing.

Grace Lazenby, a fitness expert with 15 years in the Hollywood training industry, realized that MP3 players might be an excellent means of offering her fitness and training to the masses.

In addition to Lazenby, other fitness experts who keep you going through your workout include yoga instructor Heath House, boxing expert and member of the US Air Force boxing team Nick Narvaez, boxing expert and Group Exercise Instructor of the Year Keith Irace, and member of the Brazilian National Team of Gymnastics.

Anything that adds to the enjoyment of a workout is a bonus, and I can see the benefits of iTrain for all ages, but one of my first thoughts when I read about iTrain is that it makes an excellent gift for a teen or young adult.

via Adam at Netscape

On May 24, Professional poker player Phil Gordon -- who provides expert analysis as co-host of Bravo's hit series Celebrity Poker Showdown -- and Bluff Magazine -- will host the Full Tilt Bad Beat Cancer Fundraiser to raise money for the Cancer Research and Prevention Foundation's 21st Century Young Scientists Fund. The fund awards grants to the best researchers involved in cutting-edge cancer prevention research. Celebrities Hank Azaria, Cheryl Burke, Annie Duke, Shannon Elizabeth, Dave Foley, Phil Gordon, Josh Malina, Shanna Moakler, Penny Marshall, Alfonso Ribiero, Jeremy Roenick, Sara Rue, Grant Show, and Kari Whitman will be participating in the evening's events. There will be a live auction and bidding for a chance to play poker with World Poker Champions Howard Lederer, Annie Duke and Gordon.

How did this all get started? According to the Cancer Research and Prevention Foundation, CRPF, in 2003, Gordon and his best friend poker professional Rafe Furst decided to raise money for the foundation. The year before, Gordon had lost his beloved Aunt Lib to cancer. Aunt Lib was a master card player, artist and freethinking individualist. Gordon spent childhood summers at her house playing poker, betting the little money he'd earned doing chores around the house, only to lose it all back to her. She taught him how to play and win -- in poker and in life. Gordon and Furst are active members of CRPF's Board of Directors, raising hundreds of thousands of dollars for its research grants and fellowship program, and education and community outreach activities. The Full Tilt Bad Beat Cancer Fundraiser is only one of many events Gordon has launched to raise money for CRPF.

During Oral, Head and Neck Cancer Awareness Week, beginning April 17, Major League Baseball, MLB, and Brett Butler will join the Yul Brynner Head and Neck Cancer Foundation, YBF, to raise awareness about the importance of early detection in head and neck cancers by offering free screenings.

"I'm living proof that early diagnosis and treatment can improve your chances of surviving oral, head and neck cancer," said Butler, throat cancer survivor. "That's why I'm encouraging everyone who is at risk for this potentially deadly disease, especially tobacco and alcohol users, to take advantage of the free screenings throughout the country on April 21. You owe it to your family and loved ones to get yourself checked."

Sponsored by the YBF, you can find information at the MLB website regarding oral, head and neck cancer; a directory of the participating sites throughout the U.S. that will offer free screenings on April 21 and a videotaped message from Butler.

Lou Gehrig Award winner, Butler started his major league baseball career with the Atlanta Braves, and played for the Cleveland Indians, San Francisco Giants, Los Angeles Dodgers and New York Mets. The doctors found his cancer while performing a tonsillectomy. Diagnosed with squamous cell cancer of the tonsil, Butler credits his early diagnosis and treatment with saving his life.

According to the YBF, twenty years ago, Yul Brynner, dying from lung cancer, made a television commercial that said, "Now that I'm gone, I tell you: Don't smoke, whatever you do, just don't smoke."  The public service announcement remains one of the most memorable anti-smoking statements ever made.