On Sunday, April 3, junior forward Kirk MacDonald stood before his teammates, proud, but humble; a smile stretched across his face as he accepted the Engineers’ Most Valuable Player award for the 2004-2005 men’s hockey season. Tuesday, April 5, MacDonald again stood modestly in front his teammates in the RPI locker room, only to reveal to them, his coaches, and athletic director Ken Ralph the shocking news; he has cancer.
“There was a general feeling of shock in the room,” Ralph said. “But that quickly gave way and his teammates really rallied around him.” Ralph compared the news to a “punch in the chest,” but is confident that if anyone can beat back this disease, it is MacDonald.
Ralph went on to say he has never been prouder of a student-athlete, and is impressed with the way MacDonald has handled a very personal and delicate situation.
“It is in keeping with his personality,” Ralph said of MacDonald, a 21-year old from Victoria, British Columbia. “He showed a great deal of composure and maturity by his readiness to talk about it.”
MacDonald, who led RPI with 16 goals and 36 points last year, showed the same poise in his proclamation that he displayed when he propelled the Engineers to victory in the Big Red Freakout! over Brown with a laser that beat the Brown goaltender top-shelf with just 8.3 seconds remaining. MacDonald officially announced that he had been diagnosed with testicular cancer in a statement delivered through the Rensselaer Sports Information Department.
“I was informed yesterday [Tuesday, April 5] that I have been diagnosed with testicular cancer. Obviously, this is a tremendous shock for my family and me. However, I will begin treatment immediately and fight as hard as I possibly can. I fully expect to return to the ice in time for my senior season.”
The Rensselaer student-athlete also requested that the media respect the privacy of him, his family, and his teammates throughout his battle with the disease.
Rensselaer men’s hockey Head Coach Dan Fridgen could not be reached for comment, but told the Albany Times Union that he is confident his star forward will return for the 2005-2006 season.
“Knowing the character that Kirk has, this illness has met its match,” Fridgen told the paper. “And we’ll certainly pray that it has.”
An interview with the Medical Director of the Rensselaer Student Health Center Dr. Leslie Lawrence revealed some startling, but also comforting statistics about testicular cancer. Cases of testicular cancer represent only one percent of all cancers diagnosed in the United States, but it is the most common cancer among men ages 15 to 35. The cancer comes in two distinct types and progresses in three separate stages.
The first type is a less aggressive form called seminomas, and the other more hostile and more difficult to detect types is named non-seminomas. Each type of the cancer occurs on a fairly equal basis. The three stages of the disease are based upon the progression and location of the cancer. In the first stage the illness is limited to the testicle. The second stage occurs when the disease spreads to the lymphoid glands, and the third stage affects the liver and lungs.
Due to legal requirements and respect for MacDonald, neither Lawrence nor anyone in the RPI Athletic Department would give specifics of the forward’s condition. Testicular cancer, however, is extremely treatable, especially when found early. Over 90 percent of patients survive the seminoma cases, while 70 percent of those who contract non-seminoma cases survive.
Treatments for the disease include surgical removal of the cancerous testicle and tissue in addition to radiation and possibly chemotherapy depending on the severity of the diagnosis. Testicular cancer can be detected through self-examination, an ultrasound of the scrotum, and a series of blood tests that reveal hormones the cancer produces that are normally only found in pregnant women.
“Self-examinations are so important,” Lawrence said. “We have women programmed to self examine their breast, but we have to do a better job with the testicular examination. It is so important to be familiar with what a normal scrotum and testicles feel like, therefore allowing for detection.”
Signs of the cancer are a firmer and sore testicle and fluid in the scrotum. Medical attention should be sought immediately should any of these conditions develop.
MacDonald’s announcement has opened eyes around the RPI community about the susceptibility to three-quarters of RPI students.
“It absolutely puts a new perspective on things,” Tom Reale ’04, who served as chair of the Athletic Board from 2002 to 2004 said. “I’m definitely more committed now to those monthly checks they used to harp on us about in high school health class.” Ralph echoed Reale’s comments, saying it is always troubling to see a young vibrant individual such as MacDonald contract such a serious illness.
The rest of the Rensselaer community has also begun to rally around MacDonald as the news slowly spread last week. The RPI Pep Band is planning to send the junior a card.
“My first reaction was just shock, and hope that they caught it soon enough,” Neil Havlak ’07, pep band manager, said. “I have a lot of sympathy for his parents and family. I’ve seen what effect stuff like that has on parents, and I wouldn’t wish that on anyone.”
Despite all the negatives surrounding these difficult circumstances, many in the athletic department and the Institute are hoping to see positives emerge from MacDonald’s battle.
“It is incumbent to find the positives, and there are a great number of positives that could emerge from this situation,” Ralph said. “The most important thing is to not look to the past, but toward the future.”
And while the future is cloudy for MacDonald, the Rensselaer family is certainly pulling for him and is confident he will defeat his newest foe.
“He’ll recover,” Reale said. “And we [the RPI community] and the team will rally around him.”
