Updated October 29th, 2020

‘Dude, You Got This:’ Support for Actor Jeff Bridges, 70, from Lymphoma Survivors Is Proof Cancer Can Be Beat

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Support In Lymphoma Battle

Lymphoma survivors send supportive messages to actor Jeff Bridges after he announced he’s been diagnosed.
Lymphoma is a type of blood cancer, and is broken up in two main categories: Hodgkin Lymphoma vs. non-Hodgkin Lymphoma.
Cancer survivors tell SurvivorNet that support groups and connecting with fellow cancer warriors have helped them during treatment.

Actor Jeff Bridges, 70, is starting treatment for lymphoma, and there is good news concerning his likelihood of beating the disease. There are different types of lymphoma, and we don’t know exactly what kind Bridges’ has, but doctors have seen success in some patients fighting the disease. “After multi-agent chemotherapy regimens, approximately 50% to 70% of patients will obtain a complete remission and stay in remission,” Dr. Catherine Diefenbach, a hematologistoncologist at NYU Langone Health Perlmutter Cancer Center, tells SurvivorNet.

Cancer warriors and lymphoma survivors are coming out in droves, sending Bridges the best kind of support a recently diagnosed “Dude” can get. Even though we don’t know what kind of lymphoma Bridges has been diagnosed with, he said his prognosis is promising.

Support for Bridges

Once revealing he is starting treatment, and that his prognosis is promising, lymphoma survivors immediately took to social media and shared their personal brushes with the disease in order to assure Bridges that he can beat it.

They interviewed my doctor for NBC Nightly News about Jeff Bridges. I was just at Dana-Farber today to see her. Jeff, I'm a fourteen year survivor of lymphoma. Dude, you got this.
— Michele Mortensen (@ladycomic) October 21, 2020

From one lymphoma survivor to another, I wish Jeff Bridges all the best as he starts treatment.
— Marilyn Alexander (@maralex102) October 20, 2020

Wishing Jeff Bridges a sound and easy remission from his Lymphoma diagnosis. As a Hodgkin's Lymphoma survivor diagnosed in 1987, I know that with a positive attitude and the strength of family and friends to help him through it, this is a beatable, curable disease.
— Mike Carbonara (@mcdrawsincafes) October 20, 2020

Jeff Bridges is an extremely competent actor who has covered a wide range of roles. I was saddened to read that he has lymphoma and being a cancer survivor myself I just want to put it out there – you're going to beat this sir. https://t.co/JlaF35jOjl
— Russell Shaw (@therussellshaw) October 20, 2020

Hearing from fellow survivors is surely going to bring some much-needed positivity to Bridges during his cancer battle. And there’s even more good news. If you relapse after the first wave of treatment, there are still options. If your disease returns, physicians will start you on a second-line treatment and monitor your progress.

Dr. Catherine Diefenbach explains relapse risk associated with lymphoma

What is Lymphoma?

Lymphoma is a cancer of the immune system, which begins in a specific kind of white blood cell called a lymphocyte, which are part of the body's lymphatic system.It is just 100 different types of blood cancers that affect nearly 200,000 Americans every yearIn cases of lymphoma, the lymphocytes multiply and build up in the lymph nodes and other tissues. As they multiply and create an abnormal number of white blood cells, it's more difficult for your immune system to launch an effective attack against invading germs leaving the body prone to infections and other illnesses.

The disease is broken up into two main categories: Hodgkin Lymphoma and non-Hodgkin Lymphoma. When trying to find out which type you have, doctors will examine the white blood cells within the body. If they are unable to detect the Reed-Sternberg cell (a giant cell derived from B lymphocytes), then it is classified as non-Hodgkin. If the cells are present, then it is classified as Hodgkin.

Support From Survivors

Support is an extremely important part in someone’s cancer journey. Once diagnosed, it may be difficult to share the news or express your emotions with family members and friends especially if they’ve never experienced the impact of the disease. This is why cancer support groups can be valuable resources for those facing a diagnosis, since it allows people going through the same experience to discuss their feelings and what they’ve been going through.

When Annie Ellis was diagnosed with ovarian cancer, she was referred to a support group from her physician. She was already completely overwhelmed by the amount of information she was being hit with, and went to the support group in order to gain some guidance. She says it was the best decision she could have made.

“I called that help line, and I spoke with another survivor, and by the end of the call, I was filled with so much hope because here was somebody who went through the same things I went through and was alive,” Annie tells SurvivorNet. “By being able to talk with each other in support group or one-on-one with a peer on the help line, you get more time.”

Ovarian cancer survivor Annie Ellis says support groups helped her during treatment

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