Power of Support During & After Cancer
- Blink-182 bassist and co-lead vocalist Mark Hoppus beat a type of blood cancer called diffuse large B-cell lymphoma [a type of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma] and recently impressed his fans at Lollapalooza 2024, an American four-day music festival.
- Hoppus was diagnosed with cancer in June 2021 after seeing his doctor about a lump on his shoulder. He was declared “cancer-free” about one year later.
- Lymphomas are cancers of the immune system. They start in the lymphatic system, a network of vessels, ducts, and nodes that transport immune cells and carry away waste fluid throughout your body. Lymphoma starts when lymphocytes — or white blood cells — develop a genetic mutation that makes them multiply much faster than usual.
- Various types of lymphomas exists, but non-Hodgkin lymphomas are much more common than Hodgkin lymphomas. There are several differences between these categories (and several different types of diseases within them as well). Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, the type Mark Hoppus battled, is the most comma type of non-Hodgkin lymphoma.
- Psychiatrist Dr. Lori Plutchik says supporters of cancer patients should prepare themselves for a wide range of emotions a cancer diagnosis can spawn. “People can have a range of emotions – they can include fear, anger – and these emotions tend to be fluid.”
Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma Treatment — and Beyond
Read MoreHoppus took to his Instagram page after the annual event to share some photos of him and his bandmates on stage, in front of thousands of music lovers.View this post on Instagram
One fan commented on his post, “Thank you for everything all my life, and thank you for last night! The love you gave to Not Now was so special. We are so lucky to have you all doing what you love!”
Others wrote, “You guys rocked last night,” “Kings of the weekend,” “Proud to be in that crowd,” and “Great set.”
“They’re already a Legendary Band #blink182lifeforlife,” and “Hell of a show! Love you guys!” more fans commented.
Footage from the concert was shared across social media platforms like “X,” formerly known as Twitter, showing the band playing their hits like “All The Small Things,” “The Rock Show,” and “Adam’s Song.”
Blink-182 @ Lollapalooza Chicago 2024 FULL SHOW
(thanks for yalls patience, ill be posting a google drive DL link soon) pic.twitter.com/X9zMb5GSqn
— Ender (@enderrsb) August 5, 2024
Despite the ongoing praise and support from Blink-182 fans, the band’s performance did receive a negative review by The Daily Illini. However, the bands guitarist DeLonge reacted without a care, making a joke about it on his Instagram page.
DeLonge captioned his post, revealing the headline of the review, “Hahaahahahaa @blink182 ‘why are two men who have wives and kids making jokes about sleeping with each other‘s mothers?; … oh my god, I’m dying hahaha f***, I love this band.”
One fan commented, “Tell you’ve never listened to blink without telling me you’ve never listened to blink,” while another wrote, “She literally wrote an article criticizing what most people go to Blink concerts for. Like going to an orchestra and complaining about too many strings.”
Regardless of any criticism that was made, we’re happy to see Hoppus and his buddies continuing to perform their music and keep their fans happy.
Support is essential throughout all aspects of life, especially during and after a cancer journey, and it’s easy to see Hoppus has a strong fan base and supportive loved ones, including his wife Skye, whom he’s been married to for 23 years.
On December 2nd of last year, Hoppus shared a photo of him and his wife, writing alongside it, “For better, for worse. For richer, for poorer. In sickness, and in health. 23 years, I love you Skye.”
View this post on Instagram
Mark Hoppus’ Cancer Journey
Hoppus was diagnosed with stage 4 diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, a type of blood cancer, in June 2021 after seeing his doctor about a lump on his shoulder.
Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma is a type of non-Hodgkin lymphoma. There are many specific types of non-Hodgkin lymphoma with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) being the most common.
When Caught Early, Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma Is Highly Treatable
Hoppus entered remission after chemotherapy treatments and shared the news of his “all clear” in September 2022, but he “still [has] to get screened every six months.”
But Hoppus has opened up about his difficult recovery from chemotherapy. Part of which included recovering from chemo brain, or brain fog, a sense of mental cloudiness experienced by people treated with chemotherapy.
“The chemo brain is just heartbreaking to me because I can feel myself diminished mentally right now,” he said in an earlier interview with GQ.
View this post on Instagram
Despite his harrowing health battle, Hoppus has maintained support from his loved ones, like his wife Skye and his 22-year-old son Jack.
“I had a really dark time after finding out,” he told GQ. “I went through this whole period of like, not why me, but of course me. Why wouldn’t it be me?”
He continued, “We’ve had so much good luck and good fortune, and things have kind of fallen into place for me specifically for so long, that of course I was due. I was due for something tragic.”
Expert Lymphoma Resources
Power of Support
It’s wonderful to see Mark Hoppus moving on and living his life to the fullest after cancer, as any type of diagnosis can be extremely stressful. One way SurvivorNet experts encourage cancer patients to alleviate some of that stress by leaning on their support system, like the one Hoppus has.
A support system can be made up of loved ones like family and friends. It can also be comprised of strangers who have come together because of a shared cancer experience. Mental health professionals can also be critical parts of a support system.
WATCH: Sharing details about your cancer diagnosis.
“Some people don’t need to go outside of their family and friend’s circle. They feel like they have enough support there,” psychiatrist Dr. Lori Plutchik told SurvivorNet.
“But for people who feel like they need a little bit more, it’s important to reach out to a mental health professional,” Dr. Plutchik added.
Dr. Plutchik also stressed it is important for people supporting cancer warriors to understand their emotions can vary day-to-day.
“People can have a range of emotions – they can include fear, anger – and these emotions tend to be fluid. They can recede and return based on where someone is in the process,” Dr. Plutchik said.
The Benefit of Support Networks for Cancer Patients
Understanding Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma
Lymphomas are cancers of the immune system. They start in the lymphatic system, a network of vessels, ducts, and nodes that transport immune cells and carry away waste fluid throughout your body. Lymphoma starts when lymphocytes — or white blood cells — develop a genetic mutation that makes them multiply much faster than usual.
There are about 40 different types of lymphomas, Dr. Elise Chong – a medical oncologist at Penn Medicine – explains.
Various types of lymphomas exists, but non-Hodgkin lymphomas are much more common than Hodgkin lymphomas. There are several differences between these categories (and several different types of diseases within them as well). Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, the type Mark Hoppus battled, is the most comma type of non-Hodgkin lymphoma.
The disease is typically diagnosed in people over age 55, while Hodgkin lymphoma is often seen in younger patients. Another difference is that non-Hodgkin lymphoma can form in lymph nodes all over your body. Hodgkin lymphoma is usually only in nodes of your upper body, such as your neck, chest, or armpits.
The only way to confirm whether you have lymphoma is with a biopsy. Your doctor will remove a piece of tissue from a lymph node, or the entire node. Then, a specially trained doctor called a pathologist examines the sample in a laboratory to see whether it contains lymphoma cells, and if so, which type of lymphoma it is.
Once the type of lymphoma is determined, your doctor may order a series of imaging tests to determine how to go about treatment.
Dr. Jakub Svoboda, a medical oncologist at Penn Medicine, explains how PET/CT scans are used, and what to expect.
Oftentimes a doctor will order a PET/CT scan, which combines PET (positron emission tomography) with CT (computed tomography) to get a complete picture of how far your disease has progressed.
The advantage to a PET/CT scan is that your doctor will not only be able to see your organs and tissues, for example whether your spleen or lymph nodes are enlarged, but also areas of cancer.
Cancer cells are hungrier than healthy cells so they gobble up glucose and light up on the scan.
A radiologist or other nuclear medicine specialist will read your scan and send a report to your doctor. Once your results are in, ask your doctor what they mean, how your treatment might change, and what outlook you can expect.
Finding Joy While Going Through Cancer
Whether it’s attending a large-scale festival or performing music for your fans, always remember to make time for things that bring you joy.
Dr. Dana Chase, a gynecologic oncologist at Arizona Oncology, emphasizes the importance of working on your emotional health during a cancer journey.
“We know from good studies that emotional health is associated with survival, meaning better quality of life is associated with better outcomes,” Dr. Chase previously told SurvivorNet.
“So working on your emotional health, your physical well-being, your social environment [and] your emotional well-being are important and can impact your survival.”
What Brings You Joy? Focus on That, Says Dr. Dana Chase
Dr. Chase recommends jotting down ten things that make you happy and making the time to do those activities throughout the day. “Sometimes I will talk to a patient about making [a] list of the top ten things that bring them joy. And trying to do those ten things to make at least 50 percent of their experiences positive throughout the day.”
Even if you’re working hard to prioritize your mental health by doing activities you love, it can still be quite overwhelming to think of the things you can’t control during a cancer battle.
Learn to Accept Yourself — A Huge Part of Living with Cancer
Dr. William Breitbart, chair of the department of psychology and behavioral sciences at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, says acceptance is an important part of living with cancer.
“What the task becomes is having the courage to live in the face of uncertainty, realizing that you cannot necessarily control the uncertainty in life, the suffering that occurs, limitations, challenges both good and bad,” Dr. Breitbart said. “You may not be able to control those but you have control over how you choose to respond to them and the attitudes you take towards them.”
Contributing: SurvivorNet Staff
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