Support for Bongino
- Radio host Dan Bongino, 46, was diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma in 2020 after finding a lump on his neck. He recently finished treatment and fans are wishing him well.
- To treat the disease, Bongino underwent chemotherapy and radiation.
- Keeping a positive attitude through the cancer journey, as Bongino has done, has been shown to improve prognosis in some instances. Bongino also relied on prayer as he fought cancer.
Related: Radio Host Dan Bongino Finishes Treatment for Hodgkin Lymphoma: 'It Was a Tough Road'
Read MoreI’m praying for you for miracles and healing. I really enjoy watching and listening to you on the fox broadcasts. ❤️🙏❤️
— Rosanna Mandeville (@RosannaMandevi1) February 20, 2021
Praying for Dan 🙏🙏
— Rob Moore (@ArbEvMo) February 20, 2021
Bongino’s Hodgkin Lymphoma Battle
Last year, Bongino discovered a lump on his neck, which he initially believed to be a lipoma. After he had it surgically removed, however, he was told that it was cancer and Bongino received a diagnosis of Hodgkin Lymphoma.
Lymphoma is a cancer that starts in white blood cells called lymphocytes. It is typically classified as either Hodgkin Lymphoma or Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma. The distinction between the two has to do with a person's white blood cells linked to the disease. 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.
However, if Reed-Sternberg cells are present, the lymphoma is diagnosed as Hodgkin Lymphoma. In a previous interview with SurvivorNet, Dr. Elise Chong, a medical oncologist at Penn Medicine, says lymphoma symptoms can be difficult to detect, and thus can lead to a late diagnosis. "The symptoms of lymphoma, especially if you have a low-grade lymphoma, often are no symptoms. People say, but I feel completely fine, and that's very normal," explains Dr. Chong.
Treatment for Hodgkin Lymphoma may include chemotherapy, radiation, and in some cases stem-cell transplant. Bongino’s treatment plan included chemotherapy and radiation, he said in an earlier interview with SurvivorNet.
Dr. Jason Westin Explains Lymphoma Symptoms
Turning to Faith In Cancer
For many people battling cancer, including Bongino, faith and prayer are a source of empowerment during a particularly difficult time. When he first underwent surgery to remove the tumor on his neck, the host asked fans to “please pray” for him.
For Beverly Reeves, who battled ovarian cancer, leaning on her faith, friends, and family during her diagnosis and treatment were profoundly helpful. Reeves says in an earlier interview that she advises someone going through the cancer journey to, “Get your close friends. If you’re connected to a faith community, get your faith community. Get your family. Let them know what’s going on and let them help you.”
Related: The Benefit of Support Networks for Cancer Patients
“So talk to your family and your friends and your faith community, and get that network together so they can support you and be there for you,” says Reeves. Other support resources that some patients turn to include therapy and formalized support networks.
'Faith, Family, and Friends' Helped Beverly Reeves Get Through Ovarian Cancer Treatment
Staying Positive Through Cancer
Bongino has kept his spirits high throughout his cancer journey. Using humor and his upbeat attitude, he has continued to share his journey with fans and listeners. Keeping a positive attitude through the cancer journey can help to make it easier, and can, in some cases, improve prognosis, experts tell SurvivorNet.
Related: A Major Step in the Cancer Journey: Learning to Deal With Vulnerability
In a previous interview, Dr. Zuri Murrell, a colorectal surgeon at Cedars-Sinai, says, “My patients who thrive, even with stage 4 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 OK. Now that doesn’t 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.”
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