As a Black male figure skater, he is also world renowned for his efforts in paving the way for skaters of color.

But in late spring of 2023, something stopped Larry in his tracks. He couldn’t walk normally and had trouble writing. He decided to see a physician at a local hospital and as the nimble skater was walking in, he collapsed at the door.

He regained consciousness one week later and learned that he had a large brain tumor caused by primary central nervous system (CNS) lymphoma.

CNS Lymphoma Facts:

• Primary CNS is a non-Hodgkin lymphoma, a cancer that begins in your body’s lymph system, which is part of your immune system.
• Cancer grows in lymph tissue cells in the brain or spinal cord or both.
• It’s rare, accounting for only 4% to 6% of lymphoma cases.

Treatment for Larry’s Primary CNS Lymphoma

Larry had surgery to remove the brain tumor but wasn’t responding well to chemotherapy. His kidneys broke down in reaction to the treatment. That’s when his brother decided to take him for a second opinion at the Lou and Jean Malnati Brain Tumor Institute of the Lurie Cancer Center at Northwestern Memorial Hospital.

Here, Larry saw Northwestern Medicine Neuro-Oncologist Karan S. Dixit, MD, who collaborated with Hematologist and Medical Oncologist Jonathan Moreira, MD. They created a treatment plan for Larry that involved aggressive fluid management and a lower dose of chemotherapy to keep his kidneys healthy. Plus, a stem cell transplant.

“Primary CNS lymphoma is a rare variant of an aggressive lymphoma that only impacts the nervous system,” says Dr. Dixit. “Larry’s treatment began with aggressive chemotherapy and was followed by a stem cell transplant to help his body manage the chemotherapy and keep his kidneys healthy.”

The stem cell transplant was a turning point in Larry’s treatment. Because chemotherapy is often toxic to normal bone marrow cells, the care team harvested his own stem cells before treatment and re-infused them afterward. This allowed Larry to regrow the bone marrow damaged by the chemotherapy. After four weeks of intensive hospital treatment, Larry was discharged and immediately returned to the ice following a five-month hiatus.

“I have no doubt that Larry’s training as an elite athlete gave him the preparation needed to not just proceed with the transplant, but to excel through it,” says Dr. Moreira.

Ice Comeback

Larry is now cancer-free and coaching ice skating in south-central Arizona, where he currently lives. Larry flies back to Chicago every three months for follow-up appointments. His goal is to compete again one day at the Championship Masters level. Currently he can do a single Axel, but he has his sights set on that triple Salchow. It would be record-breaking for a 60-year-old — but Larry knows a thing or two about beating the odds.

Learn about the stages of lymphoma.