CNN
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Harvey Weinstein has been diagnosed with bone cancer, a source close to the jailed producer tells CNN.

Weinstein’s specific diagnosis is chronic myelogenous leukemia, a form of bone marrow cancer, the source said, adding that he is undergoing treatment at Rikers Island in New York.

Weinstein’s longtime spokesperson, Juda Engelmayer, declined to comment on Weinstein’s diagnosis. His attorney, Arthur Aidala, did not immediately respond to CNN’s request for comment.

Weinstein’s prison consultant and authorized healthcare legal representative in New York State, Craig Rothfeld, shot down speculation about Weinstein’s diagnosis.

“It is both disturbing and unacceptable that such private and confidential health issues have become the subject of public debate. Out of respect for Mr. Weinstein’s privacy, we will have no further comment,” Rothfeld told CNN in a statement.

The diagnosis was first reported by NBC News.

Chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) is a rare form of cancer that forms in the bone marrow before entering the blood. According to the American Cancer Society, it is a slow-growing form of leukemia that can become acute if not treated quickly with targeted therapy.

Because CML is not as common as other blood diseases, scientists have spent years developing, testing and streamlining treatments for the cancer, the association says.

About 15% to 30% of people with CML develop acute myeloid leukemia. CML also typically affects more men than women, the report says.

Last month, Weinstein underwent emergency heart surgery. His spokesperson told CNN at the time that he was rushed to Bellevue Hospital in New York for the procedure and released shortly after.

“As we have previously stated in detail, Mr. Weinstein suffers from a plethora of serious health conditions that require ongoing treatment,” Weinstein’s representatives said in September.

A week after he was released following heart surgery, Weinstein attended a court hearing where he pleaded not guilty to one count of criminal sex act in the first degree after being indicted by a grand jury on a new charge earlier this month.

Earlier this year, an appeals court overturned Weinstein’s 2020 conviction, marking a crucial turning point in the #MeToo movement. He is tentatively scheduled to be retried in New York on November 12, although prosecutors have taken steps to combine the Weinstein cases into one trial – a move his defense has strongly objected to.

On Monday, Weinstein’s spokesman Engelmayer declined to comment on whether his upcoming trial could be affected by his cancer diagnosis.

CNN’s Karina Tsui contributed to this report.