Nene to have chemotherapy treatment

Feb 21, 2008 - 9:15 PM DENVER (Ticker) -- Denver Nuggets forward Nene will undergo one treatment of chemotherapy next Tuesday after having a malignant testicular tumor removed last month.

The treatment is preventative and eliminates the odds of a recurrence, the team announced Thursday. But there remains no timetable for his return.

Following chemotherapy, Nene will have a short period of recovery and will need to be cleared by physicians to begin working his way back to the court.

Nene had surgery on the tumor January 15 and has been out since taking a medical leave of absence four days prior.

He posted a statement on his web site three days after the procedure, saying the tumor had been benign. But the Nuggets set the record straight on January 22 - revealing the tumor was malignant but saying the cancer had not spread.

The 6-11 Nene has appeared in 12 games this season for the Nuggets, averaging 6.4 points and 6.4 rebounds. He missed 22 games after undergoing surgery on his left thumb in early November.