Published Nov 17, 2020

“Crazy Hearts” Actor Jeff Bridges Created A Groovy As Hell Website After His Cancer Diagnosis & Other Patients are Loving it

Actor Jeff Bridges, 70, was diagnosed with lymphoma and is documenting the journey for fans (and others on their own journeys) along the way.

Anne McCarthy

Details

Jeff Bridges' Lymphoma Updates

Actor Jeff Bridges, 70, was recently diagnosed with lymphoma, a blood disease.
Bridges has been sharing his journey by way of a groovy online journal.
Lymphoma is a treatable disease; keeping a positive outlook through cancer treatment can help make the journey easier.

Actor Jeff Bridges, 70, might just be the most chill guy in Hollywood, and his public approach to his lymphoma battle is inspiring. He’s always been one of a kind, and through the “Latest” section on his website, we get some insight into how he’s handling his days since being diagnosed. He’s created a journal of sorts, posting stream of consciousness messages to his fans and groovy drawings to keep us updated. Bridges also includes as links to other awesome projects on his website.

In the journal, Bridges waxes philosophically about how his cancer diagnosis has impacted him. The endearingly offbeat Bridges wrote: "This cancer is bringing on feelings of preciousness and gratitude and good old fashion love, lots of it, big timeâ€¦This cancer is making me appreciate my mortalityâ€¦I'm realizing I have sh*t to share, now's the time."

Related: As Strong Men Like Dan Bongino, Jeff Bridges & Alex Trebek Battle Cancer in the Public Eye, They're Spreading Much-Needed Awareness

The journal updates are done in a personable (sometimes hard-to-read) handwritten script along with fun drawings (we hope are created by Bridges himself) that read: “We’re all in this together.” Bridges has yet to post any updates since his first entry, but we’ll be waiting to see when he does. In the meantime, his fans have been loving it. One wrote earlier this month: “Thinking of Jeff Bridges today, and hope he is doing well. I love how his website is hand-written. Lots of great stuff to check out.”

Thinking of Jeff Bridges today, and hope he is doing well. I love how his website is hand-written. Lots of great stuff to check out at https://t.co/fV13ZEY2Fv. pic.twitter.com/GDkndWN5Nm
— Kevin Brackett (@KevinRBrackett) November 8, 2020

Bridges’ Lymphoma Battle

Lymphoma is a type of blood cancer and commonly falls into two categories: Hodgkin Lymphoma and Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma. While we don’t know which type of lymphoma Bridges was diagnosed with, we do know that, between the two, Non-Hodgkin lymphoma is the more common type. However, Hodgkin Lymphoma is considered more treatable.

The way this disease is treated varies upon what type of lymphoma a person is diagnosed with. Treatment for Hodgkin Lymphoma includes radiation, chemotherapy, and in rare cases stem-cell transplant. The treatment options for Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma also include chemotherapy, radiation, stem-cell transplant, or medications. We will look to Bridges’ journal for treatment updates as his cancer journey progresses.

In a previous interview with SurvivorNet, Dr. Chelsea Pinnix of the MD Anderson Cancer Center said of radiation therapy for lymphoma, “For indolent lymphoma, like follicular lymphoma or marginal zone lymphoma, radiation can be effective with only two doses of treatment. We affectionately call it boom boom. And that’s for gray and two fractions. And so this strategy is used for patients that have follicular lymphoma, for a marginal zone or malt lymphoma, to palliate areas of symptomatic disease. Just two days of treatment can be effective.”

Dr. Pinnix told SurvivorNet that trials are underway for this time of treatment. “We actually have clinical trials ongoing now at MD Anderson, looking at four gray and two fractions as definitive management for patients with orbital malt lymphomas. That trial, we’ve almost finished accruing. And the responses have been excellent. More than 80% of patients have a complete response to just two fractions of treatment.”

Some Types of Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma Treatable With "Boom-Boom" Radiation

Keeping a Postive Attitude

Keeping a positive attitude, the way Bridges seems to be doing through his lymphoma battle, can alleviate feelings of anxiety or depression that may arise after a cancer diagnosis. Dr. Zuri Murrell of Cedars-Sinai Medical Center told SurvivorNet in an earlier interview how important it is to keep a positive attitude.

Dr. Murrell said, “My patients who thrive, even with stage four cancer, from the time that they, about a month after they’re diagnosed, I kind of am pretty good at seeing who is going to be okay. Now doesn’t that mean I’m good at saying that the cancer won’t grow. But I’m pretty good at telling what kind of patient are going to still have this attitude and probably going to live the longest, even with bad, bad disease. And those are patients who, they have gratitude in life.”

Stay Positive, It Matters

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