Joe Paterno Has Lung Cancer
Family says the former Penn State football coach's doctors "are optimistic he will make a full recovery."
| Posted Friday, Nov. 18, 2011, at 4:22 PM ET
Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images.
Former Penn State football coach Joe Paterno has a "treatable" form of lung cancer, his family announced Friday afternoon.
In a statement provided to the Associated Press, Paterno's son, Scott, said that doctors expect his 84-year-old father to make a full recovery.
"Last weekend my father was diagnosed with a treatable form of lung cancer during a follow-up visit for a bronchial illness," Scott Paterno said in the statement. "He is currently undergoing treatment and his doctors are optimistic that he will make a full recovery. As everyone can appreciate, this is a deeply personal matter for my parents, and we simply ask that his privacy be respected as he proceeds with treatment."
Paterno was ousted from his long-time position as the head coach of the school's football team last week by the board of trustees for his handling of child sex-abuse allegations against his former assistant coach, Jerry Sandusky.
