Surviving Lymphoma and Raising Awareness
- Actor Jeff Bridges, 75, affectionately known as his character “The Dude” from the 1998 cult comedy, The Big Lebowski, says he is “feeling good” five year after cancer, still in remission from lymphoma, a type of blood cancer, which he was diagnosed with in 2020. He had also contracted COVID-19 at the time, during his treatment, which made is fight exponentially more difficult.
- Lymphoma is a cancer of the immune system that affects infection-fighting cells called lymphocytes. And there are more than 40 different types of lymphoma. Bridges has shared that he had non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Non-Hodgkin lymphoma and Hodgkin lymphoma are the two most common types.
- Most people with lymphoma see their doctor because they have a swollen gland that won’t go away, or they just don’t feel right overall. If you’re experiencing symptoms such as swollen glands in your neck, armpit or groin, and/or fevers, chills, night sweats and weight loss without trying, be sure to get in for a medical assessment.
In an interview with PEOPLE published over the weekend, Bridges said his health is “very good.”
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“I can’t smell,” shared Bridges, who said he also suffers from memory problems. “My wife laughs at me, she says, ‘I haven’t showered in days. You can’t smell?’ Some positive sides to it, I suppose,” he joked. “Although I don’t mind her smell.”
Bridges has been married to Susan Geston, 71, for nearly 50 years. The pair share three daughters: Isabelle, 43, Jessica, 41, and Hayley, 39. Susan was her husband’s main caregiver as he suffered through a year-and-a-half fight, which he almost lost.
RELATED: ‘Love at First Sight,’ Says Actor & Lymphoma Survivor Jeff Bridges of His Wife of 45 Years
“I had no defenses. That’s what chemo does — it strips you of all your immune system,” he told PEOPLE in a previous interview on contracting COVID during cancer treatment. “I had nothing to fight it.”
“I was pretty close to dying,” he added. “The doctors kept telling me, ‘Jeff, you’ve got to fight. You’re not fighting.’ I was in surrender mode. I was reading to go. I was dancing with my mortality.”
Susan recalled her mentality throughout this harrowing time. “Save his life. No matter what you have to do.”
“It’s all like a bad dream now — and now’s the good dream part.”
Learning About Lymphoma
Lymphoma is a cancer of the immune system that affects infection-fighting cells called lymphocytes. And there are more than 40 different types of lymphoma.
Bridges has shared that he had non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Non-Hodgkin lymphoma and Hodgkin lymphoma are the two most common types.
“Lymphoma is split up into a number of different categories,” Dr. Elise Chong, a medical oncologist at Penn Medicine, previously told SurvivorNet.
“The first distinguishing breakpoint, if you will, is non-Hodgkin lymphoma versus Hodgkin lymphoma,” Dr. Chong explained “and those sound like two different categories. But non-Hodgkin lymphoma comprises the majority of lymphoma, and Hodgkin lymphoma is a single specific type of lymphoma.”
Finding Lymphoma Early: Do you Know the Symptoms and Risks?
Hodgkin lymphoma has distinctive, giant cells called Reed-Sternberg cells. The presence of these cells, which can be seen under a microscope, will help your doctor determine which of the two lymphoma types you have.
RELATED: The Stages of Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma: How Your Stage Affects Your Outlook
There are a few other important differences between non-Hodgkin lymphoma and Hodgkin lymphoma to note. For one thing, non-Hodgkin lymphoma is much more common, and you’re more likely to be diagnosed with it after age 55. People usually develop Hodgkin lymphoma at a younger age.
Another important differentiation is that non-Hodgkin lymphoma is more likely to spread in a random fashion and be found in different groups of lymph nodes in the body, while Hodgkin lymphoma is more likely to grow in a uniform way from one group of lymph nodes directly to another.
“Non-Hodgkin lymphoma is a big group of [cancers] with a lot of different treatment approaches based on the specific type of lymphoma,” said Dr. Chelsea Pinnix, a radiation oncologist at MD Anderson Cancer Center, to SurvivorNet in a prior interview.
While the most common treatment for non-Hodgkin lymphoma, especially initially, is chemotherapy, many non-Hodgkin lymphoma patients with different types, and at different stages of the disease may benefit from radiation therapy as well.
Radiation Therapy for Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma
These two different types of lymphoma behave, spread and respond to treatment differently, so it’s important for you to know which type you have.
A Lymphoma Diagnosis: What Is Your Risk?
“The patients who are diagnosed with lymphoma early, typically it’s luck,” Dr. Chong said. They may have had a symptom that made their doctor check them, or the cancer showed up on a scan or blood test that was done for another reason.
Until an effective screening test does become available, you can increase your odds of finding lymphoma early by knowing whether you’re at risk, and staying alert for symptoms.
You might be at higher risk for this cancer if you:
- Have been infected with the HIV or Epstein-Barr virus
- Had an organ transplant
- Have a family history of lymphoma
- Have been treated with radiation or chemotherapy drugs for cancer in the past
- Have an autoimmune disease
Let your doctor know about any of these potential risks, so they can keep a close eye on you. Depending on your individual health history, you may need more frequent checkups and tests.
Also watch out for lymphoma symptoms. The most common ones are:
- Swollen glands in your neck, armpit, or groin
- Fever
- Chills
- Night sweats
- Weight loss without trying
- Feeling tired
- Swelling in your belly
Many different conditions, including infections, cause these same symptoms, so it’s best not to panic if you have them. It’s most likely something more benign, but still worth getting checked out. It’s also a good idea to see your doctor for any unusual symptoms, even if they’re not on this list.
How Doctors Diagnose Lymphoma
Most people with lymphoma see their doctor because they have a swollen gland that won’t go away, or they just don’t feel right. If you suspect there’s a problem, you can start with a visit to your family doctor.
The doctor will first ask about your symptoms and risk factors. Then you’ll have a physical exam, looking for swelling in your lymph nodes and belly. Your doctor will try to rule out other causes, such as an infection, which may require that you get a blood test.
The only way to confirm that you have lymphoma is with a biopsy — removing a small piece of a lymph node for testing. Because this test is somewhat invasive, your doctor won’t do it unless he or she has a strong suspicion that you have lymphoma. A lab will test the sample to see if it contains cancer cells. The biopsy results can also show what type of lymphoma it is.
You might also need imaging tests such as an x-ray, computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), or positron emission tomography (PET) scan to find out what’s causing your symptoms, and if you do have lymphoma, to determine its stage.
Advocating for yourself is important when you’re trying to get an accurate diagnosis. If you have persistent symptoms that look like lymphoma and your doctor hasn’t sent you for a biopsy, it might be worth seeking out a second opinion.
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