Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones has revealed that he survived stage 4 melanoma after more than a decade of treatments, surgeries, and experimental drug trials.
Jones revealed for the first time this week that he was diagnosed with stage 4 melanoma in June 2010 and subsequently endured four major surgeries on his lungs and lymph nodes over a decade span, according to The Dallas Morning News.
Stage 4 melanoma, according to the American Cancer Society, indicates the cancer has metastasized to distant organs or parts of the body, dramatically worsening survival odds.
The diagnosis, according to Jones, was delivered at Houston’s MD Anderson Cancer Center, one of the nation’s leading cancer hospitals.
While the billionaire NFL owner kept his illness private for more than a decade, he referenced his cancer journey for the first time publicly in the new Netflix docuseries “America’s Team: The Gambler and His Cowboys,” which is set to be released next week.
In an anecdote from the show, Jones mentioned undergoing cancer treatment “about a dozen years ago,” a comment that prompted follow-up questions and, ultimately, full disclosure of his medical history to the press, per DMN.
While discussing his diagnosis, Jones claimed that an experimental procedure helped him overcome the disease.
“I was saved by a fabulous treatment and great doctors and a real miracle [drug] called PD-1 [therapy],” he said, per DMN. “I went into trials for that PD-1, and it has been one of the great medicines.”
Brad Townsend, the reporter who broke the news about Jones having once battled cancer, explained how Programmed Cell Death Protein 1 works to remove cancer cells in the body.
“It basically enables the T-cells to attack cancer cells, and it’s been very successful. When I looked it up, I found that when someone is diagnosed with stage 4 melanoma – which means it’s metastasized to other parts of the body – statistics show you have a 35% chance of surviving five years. And Mr. Jones has clearly well exceeded that,” Townsend explained while speaking with NBC 5 DFW.
Jones further discussed the diagnosis on Wednesday after the Cowboys’ training camp practice, explaining that it is difficult to “think about your mortality” and crediting the doctors who helped him to overcome the disease.
“It ate my hips up. I had to have both hips replaced because it was rough on your bones, but other than that, I’m so proud to get to be sitting here with you guys and be getting to do what we do … But [mortality] was in the back of your mind,” he added, per ESPN.
Cowboys Head Coach Brian Schottenheimer applauded Jones for being open about his fight with cancer and said it is an “amazing story” that can help those who are dealing with similar situations.
“I’m glad that Jerry shared it, just because I think it gives people hope,” Schottenheimer said, according to the Associated Press.
“It gives people the strength to say … ‘Hey, you can beat this.’”