Thriving After a Cancer Journey
- Mark Hoppus of Blink-182 fame is loving life on the road for the punk band’s 2023/2024 reunion world tour.
- After Hoppus battled stage 4 diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, a type of blood cancer, he wasn’t sure if he’d tour again. But after treatment, he happily declared himself cancer free.
- According to one expert we spoke with, diffuse large B-cell lymphoma is “highly treatable” when caught at an early stage.
- When it comes to transitioning into survivorship, it’s important to know you can still thrive even if cancer leads to a life that looks different than you had planned.
- Ovarian cancer survivor Marecya Burton, for example, found a new passion after her diagnosis at 20 and was able to take on a whole new career.
Hoppus has strummed and sang in Blink-182 since he founded the pop-punk group with vocalist and guitarist Tom DeLonge, 47, in 1992. Once drummer Travis Barker, 47, joined the band in 1998, the group’s core three were cemented in history.
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The Arizona Republic called the performance “a life-affirming reminder of what this kind of performance can mean to those who came of age with Blink-182, a dizzying blend of penis jokes and songs that hit you squarely in the feels, which, as I've come to understand it, is a good deal higher on the body.”
“There's this chemistry DeLonge and Hoppus have that's guaranteed to take you back to where you were the day your inner juvenile delinquent and/or class clown fell in love with Blink-182,” Ed Masley writes.
Moving Into Survivorship
Masley’s review also touched upon one very “sweet” moment of the concert where Hoppus talked about how special it was for him to be performing after overcoming cancer.
"Not very long ago, I wasn't sure I was going to be able to keep going," Hoppus reportedly said toward the end of the set. "I was going through chemotherapy and I couldn't walk up the stairs of my house without getting out of breath. I didn't know if I was ever gonna be on stage again. And now, here I am tonight."
The Blink-182 Star’s Cancer Journey
Mark 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.
"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? 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."
According to the National Cancer Institute, diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) is an overarching term for a group of fast-growing B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphomas (NHL) that have cancer cells that look large under a microscope.
These lymphomas are the most common type of NHL and are characterized by “rapidly growing tumors in the lymph nodes, spleen, liver, bone marrow, or other tissues and organs.”
RELAETD: Sneaky Lymphoma Symptoms Often Lead to a Late Diagnosis
Signs and symptoms of DLBCL may include, according to Dr. Stephen Schuster, a medical oncologist at Penn Medicine:
- swollen lymph nodes
- fever
- intense night sweats
- fatigue
- weight loss
Thankfully, this disease is “highly treatable” when caught at an early stage.
When Caught Early, Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma Is Highly Treatable
“The success rates are high,” Dr. Schuster previously told SurvivorNet of the standard care of treatment for early DLBCL.
“We could say that oncology has been very successful in developing a good treatment approach for that.”
Hoppus underwent physically and mentally challenging rounds of chemotherapy before entering remission and later declaring himself cancer-free.
“Very grateful today,” the musician wrote in a September 2022 Instagram story. “My scan came back clean and I’m cancer-free.
“Thankful for everyday I get to be here. Love you all.”
Finding Success as a Cancer Survivor
On the other side of his cancer journey, Mark Hoppus has returned to Blink-182 as energetic as ever. He’s a great example of someone finding joy and success after the arduous journey that is treatment.
It’s important to know you can still thrive even if cancer leads to a life that looks different than you had planned.
Take survivor Marecya Burton, for instance. After receiving an ovarian cancer diagnosis at just 20 years old, the college student-athlete was forced to move home for treatment and delay her upcoming graduation.
Former College Cheerleader Reinvents Herself after Surviving Ovarian Cancer
"That was definitely challenging for me," Burton told SurvivorNet. "I was looking forward to graduating."
She also had to shift another dream of hers pursuing a law degree after completing undergraduate school.
"I really had to, in a sense, put my life on hold," she said. "Sometimes I look at where I am, and I can't help but wonder, would I be further had I not had my diagnosis?"
But instead of focusing on the negatives of the situation, Burton embraced the potential of her new future and found a new passion: teaching. She then became a high school teacher in Baltimore, Maryland, and has loved her new direction in life ever since.
"I wouldn't change my career for the world," she said. "It's so fulfilling."
Learn more about SurvivorNet's rigorous medical review process.