Geoffrey Boycott reveals second throat cancer diagnosis; set to undergo surgery
New Delhi: Legendary England batter Sir Geoffrey Boycott has revealed about his diagnosis with throat cancer for the second time and said he is set to undergo surgery as part of the treatment in two weeks’ time.
Boycott, 83, was informed last week that the cancer, for which he was treated in 2002 through chemotherapy and radiotherapy, has returned. “In the last few weeks I have had an MRI scan, CT scan, a PET scan and two biopsies and it has now been confirmed I have throat cancer and will require an operation.”
“From past experience I realise that to overcome cancer a second time I will need excellent medical treatment and quite a bit of luck and even if the operation is successful every cancer patient knows they have to live with the possibility of it returning. So I will just get on with it and hope for the best,” said Boycott in a statement to The Daily Telegraph.
When he was diagnosed with cancer in 2002, Boycott was 62 and was told he had three months to live if he did not undergo treatment immediately. He overcame it via 35 chemotherapy sessions and support from his wife Rachel and daughter Emma.
Boycott scored 8,114 runs in 108 Tests from 1964 to 1982 and even captained England on four occasions in 1978 when Mike Brearley was injured. He scored his hundredth first-class hundred against Australia at Headingley in 1977. His Test career was worth 108 matches, 8114 runs coming at an average of 47.72, including 22 centuries and 42 half-centuries.
He represented Yorkshire in first-class cricket, scoring 48,426 runs, the fifth highest of all time. He later became president of Yorkshire, and was associated with the BBC Test Match Special commentary team for 14 years till 2020.
