Former Panthers coach Ron Rivera completes final round of cancer treatment
There was an outpouring of support for former Panthers head coach Ron Rivera when he was diagnosed with cancer this summer.
After just over two months of treatment, Rivera has completed his seven-week cycle of proton treatment and chemotherapy.
Rivera, 58, has continued to coach the Washington Football Team since his diagnoses. Washington (2-5) came away with its second win of the season with a dominating performance over the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday. He has not missed a game this year, but doctors did schedule Rivera to receive IV fluids at halftime of games to keep him hydrated.
The head coach was diagnosed with squamous cell carcinoma located in a lymph node after finding a lump on his neck in early July that remained for multiple weeks.
The doctors and nurses who treated Rivera at Inova Schar Cancer Institute in Virginia celebrated the milestone by cheering for him and applauding as he exited the building and rang a bell.
Rivera is not done with the process of scans and follow-ups to check on his progress still to come, but finishing his treatments is a significant step forward.
After spending almost nine full seasons coaching the Panthers, Rivera was fired with four games remaining in the 2019 season. He finished with a 76-63-1 record (.546) — the winningest head coach in franchise history.
This story was originally published October 26, 2020 at 2:00 PM with the headline "Former Panthers coach Ron Rivera completes final round of cancer treatment."
