NHL player battles cancer

Pittsburgh’s young 24 year-old defenseman Olli Mattaa is scheduled to go under surgery next week to remove a tumor from his neck that could be a low-grade thyroid cancer. Mattaa has been cleared to stay with team until the surgery but is expected to miss around four weeks. “Olli will have surgery to remove the tumor,” said Dr. Dharmesh Vyas, the Penguins’ team physician (according to NHL.com) “Even if it is found to be cancerous, we do not expect that he will need radiation or chemotherapy, and we anticipate a complete recovery. In all likelihood, Olli will go on to live a healthy life and this should not affect his ability to play hockey long-term.”(according to NHL.com) photo: Keystone press