Photo by: Alex Mowrey/Pitt Athletics
Kyla Nelson Diagnosed With A Neuroendocrine Tumor Of The Appendix
9/25/2019 12:51:00 PM | Women's Basketball
PITTSBURGH – University of Pittsburgh women's basketball junior guard Kyla Nelson was diagnosed with a Neuroendocrine Tumor of the appendix, cancer of the appendix, late last week.
"Cancer is a scary word for anyone," said Nelson. "I feel very lucky that the discovery was made at this early stage. I am grateful to be surrounded by such an amazing medical institution like Pitt and a team that is loving and supportive. My roommate has been great and I also have a family I can lean heavily on, even with the long distance between us."
"My focus after surgery is full recovery," stated Nelson. "I feel physically well and aim to get back on the court to help this team achieve all of our goals for this season as soon as possible."
Nelson is set to undergo surgery in the beginning of October. She is expected to make a full recovery and return to the court for the Panthers this season.
The tumor was first discovered on August 26 as Nelson underwent an appendectomy, a common emergency surgery to remove the appendix.
"Although this situation is very unfortunate for Kyla, we are happy to know the prognosis is positive and we were able to catch it so early," said second-year head coach Lance White. "We have the upmost confidence in the UPMC medical team as well as our doctors and athletic trainers at Pitt."
"Our Pitt women's basketball family and athletic department are completely behind Kyla and we will give her all the support she needs during recovery," expressed White. "We look forward to having her back on the court."
Nelson is coming off of her best season as a Panther last year as she averaged a career-high 6.0 points and 2.2 rebounds while ranking fourth in the ACC in three-point field goal percentage (40.4%) and connecting on a team-high 42 triples. The England native made eight starts and appeared in 30 games as a sophomore.
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"Cancer is a scary word for anyone," said Nelson. "I feel very lucky that the discovery was made at this early stage. I am grateful to be surrounded by such an amazing medical institution like Pitt and a team that is loving and supportive. My roommate has been great and I also have a family I can lean heavily on, even with the long distance between us."
"My focus after surgery is full recovery," stated Nelson. "I feel physically well and aim to get back on the court to help this team achieve all of our goals for this season as soon as possible."
It's been a crazy September! Grateful to have so many amazing people in my corner. Ready to take on this next challenge so I can fully focus on the season ahead #H2P @Pitt_WBB https://t.co/1I8ScCyvg4 pic.twitter.com/j660O5FR9z
— Kyla Nelson (@kylanelson_) September 25, 2019
Nelson is set to undergo surgery in the beginning of October. She is expected to make a full recovery and return to the court for the Panthers this season.
The tumor was first discovered on August 26 as Nelson underwent an appendectomy, a common emergency surgery to remove the appendix.
"Although this situation is very unfortunate for Kyla, we are happy to know the prognosis is positive and we were able to catch it so early," said second-year head coach Lance White. "We have the upmost confidence in the UPMC medical team as well as our doctors and athletic trainers at Pitt."
"Our Pitt women's basketball family and athletic department are completely behind Kyla and we will give her all the support she needs during recovery," expressed White. "We look forward to having her back on the court."
Nelson is coming off of her best season as a Panther last year as she averaged a career-high 6.0 points and 2.2 rebounds while ranking fourth in the ACC in three-point field goal percentage (40.4%) and connecting on a team-high 42 triples. The England native made eight starts and appeared in 30 games as a sophomore.
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