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(ARA) - Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, one of the greatest basketball players of all time, known for his unblockable signature "skyhook" shot, was diagnosed late last year with a rare type of blood cancer known as Philadelphia chromosome-positive chronic myeloid leukemia (Ph+ CML). Now, he is partnering with Novartis Oncology and has a message for fellow patients with Ph+ CML - work closely with your doctors and take all the necessary steps to actively manage your disease for the best possible outcomes.

"Having lost one of my closest friends to a different, highly aggressive form of leukemia, I knew how serious my diagnosis was - my own life expectancy became a question mark," says Abdul-Jabbar.

Abdul-Jabbar's own cancer was diagnosed in December 2008 when a blood level test revealed an abnormally high white blood cell count, which is an initial indicator of the disease. Ph+ CML is a cancer that affects the blood and bone marrow; approximately 5,000 new cases are expected to be diagnosed this year.

"Life-changing therapies are giving patients with Ph+ CML a greater chance of success than ever before - and there are even newer targeted treatments currently being studied that may further help patients better manage their disease," explains Dr. Michael Schuster, director of the Bone Marrow and Blood Stem Cell Transplantation Program and a Professor of Clinical Medicine at the Center for Lymphoma and Myeloma at the New York Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center. "For these drugs to help provide optimal results, however, it's critical that patients follow the dosing schedule prescribed by their doctor."

"I know how important my medication is to managing my disease, so when I learned that there are patients out there who regularly skip doses of their medication and aren't keeping their doctor appointments, I was stunned," says Abdul-Jabbar. "I'm telling my story to encourage fellow patients to take charge of their health - work closely with your doctor, monitor your disease and treatment responses through regular blood level testing and, above all, take your medicine."

Until a few years ago, a diagnosis of Ph+ CML could mean a patient had only a few years or months left to live. Because of new treatments, it is now considered a serious, but manageable cancer for many.

Abdul-Jabbar is being treated with a medicine that specifically targets the abnormal protein, known as Bcr-Abl, which causes this leukemia. Today, Kareem continues to live a very full life and is feeling good about the future.

For more information, Abdul-Jabbar is encouraging fellow patients with Ph+ CML and their loved ones to visit www.CMLAlliance.com and www.CMLEarth.com. CML Alliance offers helpful disease education, information about how treatments work to fight this cancer, the testing that is done to monitor treatment response, and information on reimbursement support. CML Earth is a unique interactive social networking Web site that allows Ph+ CML patients to connect with one another across the globe.