Ex-Airline Mechanic With Hearing Aids, 73, Thought His Worsening Hearing Was From a ‘Virus:’ He Was SHOCKED When It Turned Out To Be Cancer

"I'd been to see my GP and had put the symptoms down to a virus or infection," he told Express. "But I had a niggling doubt about it and then when the issues became worse and my hearing became blocked I simply thought 'I can't go on with this.'"

When he saw the audiologist, it was discovered that his hearing was seriously impaired. The audiologist instructed Roberts to see a doctor as quickly as possible.

He visited an ear, nose and throat physician at Birmingham's Queen Elizabeth Hospital, who also expressed alarm. A week later, a biopsy revealed that Roberts wasn't suffering from a cold. Rather, he had Hodgkin Lymphoma.

What Is Hodgkin Lymphoma?

There are more than 40 different types of lymphoma, but Hodgkin lymphoma and non-Hodgkin lymphoma are the main two sub-categories with the latter being more common. According to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, about 90,390 people in the United States were expected to be diagnosed with lymphoma in 2021 8,830 cases of Hodgkin lymphoma and 81,560 cases of non-Hodgkin lymphoma. The type of white blood cells linked to the disease determines the distinction. If doctors are unable to detect the Reed-Sternberg cell a giant cell derived from B lymphocytes then it is categorized as non-Hodgkin lymphoma.

Symptoms include swollen lymph nodes in the neck, upper chest, armpit, abdomen or groin. Those swollen areas are likely to be painless, but should be checked out anyway.

Other common symptoms include night sweats, unexplained weight loss or fever, fatigue, loss of appetite and persistent cough or shortness of breath.

Lymphoma Relapses: When To Use Radiation 

In a previous interview, Dr. Elise Chong, a medical oncologist at Penn Medicine, explained that Hodgkin lymphoma is most often seen in younger adults. And although less common, it is generally easier to cure than non-Hodgkin lymphoma.

Dr. Chong also said lymphoma symptoms can be difficult to detect.

"The symptoms of lymphoma, especially if you have a low-grade lymphoma, often are no symptoms," Dr. Chong explained. "People say, but I feel completely fine, and that's very normal."

Lymphoma treatment depends greatly on the nature of your specific diagnosis. For non-Hodgkin lymphoma patients, their cancer is more likely to spread in a random fashion and be found in different groups of lymph nodes in the body. Hodgkin lymphoma cancers, on the other hand, are more likely to grow in a uniform way from one group of lymph nodes directly to another. Some lymphomas, called indolent lymphomas, might not even need to be treated right away because they're slow-growing. In this case, careful monitoring including imaging scans such as PET/CT is used to track the progress of your cancer and gauge whether it needs treatment yet.

The Grades of Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma

A Successful Treatment

Insome cases, treatment options are surgery and radiotherapy, which is what Roberts went through.

"As I walked into the room I knew it wasn't good news. But the positive elements to take from the outcome was that there was treatment available," he said.

Three months later and follow up scans revealed that Roberts was in remission.

"I couldn't believe it," he said. "Of course I'm under regular review, but I feel so lucky that I've been given a chance.

A number of well-known people have gone on similar journeys to Roberts'. NFL running back James Conner battled the disease before he went pro and even wrote a book about it. 

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