Jon Lester’s Cancer Journey

Former Boston Red Sox pitcher Jon Lester was diagnosed with anaplastic large cell lymphoma in 2006 at the age of 22. At the time, Lester was midway through his rookie year with the Red Sox. Anaplastic large cell lymphoma is a rare form of T-cell lymphoma which accounts for approximately 2% of all lymphomas.

Lester shared that he had gotten into a car accident back in 2006 which caused his back to hurt. Despite the pain, he had tried to continue playing but he “still was hurting and could hardly sleep”. Eventually, he decided to see a doctor and got admitted into the ER.

“After an examination, the doctor came in to see me and my dad and asked, ‘Have you had any other problems other than you back?’ I said, ‘No.’ The doctor looked at me. Then, he looked at my dad, then back at me and announced, ‘Well, you either have lymphoma or testicular cancer.’” Lester recalled.

After undergoing several tests, the doctors “discovered a lymph node pushing up against a disk in my spinal column, which was causing the pain”. Lester subsequently underwent a biopsy, which ultimately led to his diagnosis of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. Upon receiving his diagnosis, Lester shared that he felt that he had “just been given a death sentence”.

Following his diagnosis, Lester underwent several rounds of chemotherapy as treatment.

“I lost my hair, I really felt weak and run down, and I lost weight. The biggest thing that helped me through this whole process of chemotherapy for the cancer that I had was I tried to live my life as normally as possible,” he shared.

Fortunately, he was declared cancer-free in December that same year.

Just months after his recovery from cancer, Lester went on to become a World Series champion for the first time. He also started a foundation, Never Quit, together with his wife to raise awareness and funds to support pediatric cancer research in 2012. Through his platform, Lester partnered with the Pediatric Cancer Research Foundation (PCRF) to raise awareness and funds for children’s cancer research. He also hosts fundraising events, such as NVRQT Goes Country, which features live music, food and carnival-style games.