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September 1, 2006

Sox' Lester diagnosed with 'treatable' form of cancer

BOSTON -- Boston Red Sox rookie left-hander Jon Lester has a treatable form of anaplastic large cell lymphoma and will start treatment in the coming week, the team announced Friday.

Enlarged lymph nodes were identified when Lester, 22, was tested to determine the cause of back pain that sent him to the disabled list on Monday.

Manager Terry Francona visited Lester on Thursday morning and several players commented later that day, before the diagnosis was announced.

Pitcher Curt Schilling referred to the melanoma his wife dealt with several years ago.

''Having been in a situation where cancer was an operative word, it's an incredibly scary thing,'' Schilling said Thursday. ''You're talking about a kid at the beginning of his life.''

Lester is 7-2 with a 4.76 ERA and 60 strikeouts in 81 1/3 innings.

Posted by Art  at 6:31 PM | Permalink

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