New Jersey Devils center Brian Boyle says his cancer is in remission.
Boyle, who revealed the news on Wednesday, said he received his most recent blood test results on Monday. Boyle, 33, was diagnosed with chronic myeloid leukemia in September 2017 after a training camp physical. He made his 2017-18 season debut on Nov. 1 and ended up playing in 69 games while undergoing treatment.
"A test (BCR-ABL1) looks for the leukemia cells in your blood and when I was first diagnosed, it was at 75 percent," Boyle told NHL.com. "At the end of last season, it was at .08 percent, and in July I was .04 percent. The results showed all zeros on Monday. It's full molecular remission, and I feel really good.
"The game plan has been working well, and now I'm just going to continue with it. It was good news, but it doesn't change a whole lot for me, and I'll continue taking the medicine."
The Hingham, Massachusetts, native said he will need to continue taking medication once a month and will still have regular checkups with doctors to monitor his health.
Boyle was awarded the 2018 Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy for "perseverance, sportsmanship, and dedication to hockey." The award is voted on annually by members of the Professional Hockey Writers Association.
Boyle signed a two-year contract with the Devils before last season. His 12-year career includes stops with the Los Angeles Kings, New York Rangers, Tampa Bay Lightning and Toronto Maple Leafs. He has scored three goals in his first six games with New Jersey this season, averaging 11:42 minutes per night.
