Calhoun treated for skin cancer

Posted: Fri May 30 3:15 PM

Storrs, CT (Sports Network) - Connecticut men's basketball coach Jim Calhoun announced Friday that he is being treated for a form of skin cancer.

Calhoun spoke at a press conference Friday and said he underwent a procedure on his upper right neck on May 6. The cancer was removed, along with a small portion of the salivary gland and 37 additional lymph nodes from lower in the neck.

Pathologic analysis of the tissue removed during the surgery revealed that the cancer had been completely excised, and all the additional lymph nodes removed were free of cancer.

"I wanted to get an opportunity to let everyone know, I did have a little bit of a setback, but I'm going to fight through this," Calhoun said Friday.

Calhoun had a cell of cancer removed from his right cheek in 2007, and the recurrence this spring was related to the prior cancer. However, it is completely unrelated to the prostate cancer he was treated for in 2003.

The 66-year-old Hall of Famer is considered cancer-free, but will undergo six weeks of radiation treatment at the University of Connecticut Health Center as a precaution to minimize the chance of any future recurrence of this cancer.

Calhoun said he should be able to resume coaching the Huskies next season.

"I plan to coach here at UConn," Calhoun stated. "I'm looking forward to coaching a long time."

Calhoun, inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2005, has spent the past 22 years at Connecticut, leading the Huskies to a record of 526-200 with national titles in 1999 and 2004. He also posted a mark of 248-137 in 14 seasons at Northeastern.