Understanding The Rare Type of Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma Turner Is Living With
- As “The Golden Bachelor” star Gerry Turner is living with a rare type of non-Hodgkin lymphoma called Waldenström’s macroglobulinemia, a disease he has not started treatment for as he hasn’t had any symptoms, he is choosing to embrace live with his new love Lana Sutton.
- The sweet couple took to social media this week to share photos of what they’ve been up to. Turner also recently admitted in an interview that marriage “is not off the table.”
- According to the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Waldenström’s macroglobulinemia (WM) is an uncommon blood cell cancer that develops from malignant B-cells. “It is a slow-growing type of non-Hodgkin lymphoma.
- Waldenström’s mostly forms in the bone marrow and can slow normal blood cell growth, which can lead to anemia and a weakened immune system.”
- Lymphoma is a blood cancer, specifically of the immune system, that affects infection-fighting cells called lymphocytes.
- Treatment for this disease largely depends on the nature of a patient’s diagnosis. For non-Hodgkin lymphoma patients, their cancer is more likely to spread randomly and be discovered in different groups of lymph nodes in the body.
The 73-year-old dad—whose first wife Toni Hamilton died of a bacterial infection in 2017 and his second marriage to Theresa Nist ended in divorce —revealed last month the identity of his girlfriend. Just this week, he admitted to People magazine, that they wouldn’t really be “looking to get married” but it’s “not off the table.”
Read MoreNon-Hodgkin Lymphoma: Overview
It’s also sweet to know that Turner has already introduced his two kids, saying, “With my youngest daughter and her husband, Angie and Rob, we went to dinner and had a really nice time.
“And then a week later, there was a volleyball tournament where my granddaughter Charlie was playing and Lana got to meet my other daughter and son-in-law, Jenny and John. And then it was probably one week after that I was in the Indianapolis area and went to dinner with her daughter Rachel and her son-in-law, Noah, her youngest daughter Jordan.”
Turner also recently shared the sweetest words, alongside several photos of him and his partner, in an Instagram post this week, which read, “The past two months have been an absolute blast – travel, adventure, and quality time with two families.
“Feeling grateful to have met such a kind-hearted woman. What a partner!”
RELATED: ‘Strong in Cancer:’ Navigating New Relationships While Fighting Cancer Is Challenging
Sutton commented, “I couldn’t ask for a more genuine, kind-hearted, loving gentleman! I love your heart for me.
“Life is a blast with you @goldengerryturner. You are the perfect partner for me.”
In another post, from last week, which followed a trip to Charleston, North Carolina, Tuner wrote, “I can’t believe how many people in Charleston recognized us and wished us the best.”
Sutton also reshared some memorable moments from their trip, writing, “A couple memories from our first getaway to Charleston!”
Turner and Sutton are also set to travel to London and Paris this summer, so we’re sure the pair has a lot to look forward to and we’re happy to see it, especially as he’s living with a rare form of non-Hodgkin lymphoma.
Meanwhile, during an April 15 podcast episode of “Gerry’s ‘Happy Hour’ Return!” Turner offered insight into his cancer journey, saying, “Until I have any symptoms, there’s no treatment. So, I go frequently for blood tests. I’m on a six-month schedule now.”
He continued, “I feel optimistic because the doctor has said, ‘Well when you turn 75, we’re going to have to go three-month increments.’
“So it’s telling me that at least he expects me to live another couple of years to get to that. But the bottom line is I feel really good.”
It’s important to understand that with some cancers, immediate treatment is essential. You don’t want to let a cancer that started at an early stage — especially an aggressive one — progress to a late stage where it’s more widespread and harder to stop. This is also the case with aggressive non-Hodgkin lymphomas, such as diffuse large B-cell lymphoma.
However, indolent (slow-growing) non-Hodgkin lymphoma is different, like the type Turner is battling. Some people, when diagnosed, will learn that they don’t have to start treatment right away, like Turner. This approach is called “watchful waiting,” and it has its pros and cons.
Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma: Treat Right Away, Or Wait?
“Watchful waiting is a wonderful and a terrible thing all at the same time,” Dr. Caitlin Costello, hematologist-oncologist at UC San Diego Health, tells SurvivorNet. “It’s wonderful to not need treatment, but oftentimes terribly agonizing to just feel like you’re sitting there waiting for someone to tell you that you need treatment.”
Research shows that, in indolent lymphomas, waiting to start treatment until a patient meets certain criteria for treatment does not compromise long-term survival outcomes compared to treating right away. In fact, some people can safely wait for several years before starting on treatment. Others will never need treatment.
Watchful waiting may be appropriate for people with indolent cancers such as follicular lymphoma or marginal zone lymphoma, Dr. Costello says. Indolent means the cancer is growing slowly, so it’s not likely to spread while you wait. Another reason to wait is if your cancer isn’t causing you any symptoms. It’s important when considering whether to wait that your lymph nodes aren’t growing quickly, and that none of your major organs — such as your heart or lungs — is being affected by your cancer.
Even with a slow growing cancer, your doctor will do a risk-benefit assessment to find out if the advantages of starting treatment outweigh the risk of side effects from that treatment. For some people, the answer is clearly yes, because they would benefit from treatment. “Whereas for other patients, we’d say it’s really not worth it at this point. The risk of the treatment isn’t worth the potential small benefit for you,” Dr. Costello adds.
Waiting has a few definite advantages. For one thing, you’ll avoid treatment side effects. Also, your cancer won’t have a chance to become resistant and stop responding to treatment.
Additionally, watchful waiting doesn’t mean that your doctor will do nothing. As the word “watchful” in the phrase implies, your doctor will carefully monitor you on a regular basis, and will start you on treatment as soon as you need it.
You’ll have periodic check-ups to go over your symptoms. During those visits, your doctor will likely do physical exams and give you blood tests. Sometimes you may need imaging scans such as x-rays and computed tomography (CT) to see if your cancer has progressed. In between visits, it’s important to let your doctor know if you have any new symptoms.
Finding Vitality and the ‘Pathway’ to Resilience
Psychiatrist Dr. Samantha Boardman suggests that people working on their mental health practice positive psychology. Positive psychology focuses on encouraging patients to feel positive and finding what brings a sense of vitality to their lives,.
Dr. Boardman explains them as “pathways to embrace your everyday resilience.” In other words, these are tools people who may be struggling with mental health issues can embrace to help maintain a certain sense of positivity. And those positive feelings can go a long way when people are facing a health challenge like a cancer diagnosis.
According to Dr. Boardman, these three wellsprings of vitality are:
- Connecting. This involves how you’re connecting with others and having meaningful interactions. It involves being a good listener and being engaged with the people around you who you care about.
- Contribution. How are you adding value to the people around you? Are you helping them in ways that feel meaningful to them? This entails contributing/engaging with others in a meaningful way.
- Feeling challenged. Being “positively challenged” could involve learning something new (perhaps by taking a new class or reading an interesting book) and expanding your mind in some way.
“Those are the cores of vitality and the core pathways to enhance your everyday resilience,” Dr. Boardman said.
Understanding Turner’s Cancer Diagnosis: Waldenström’s Macroglobulinemia
Back in 2021, following a shoulder injury he ignored but eventually got checked, Gerry Turner was diagnosed with Waldenström’s macroglobulinemia (WM), “an uncommon blood cell cancer that develops from malignant B-cells,” according to the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute,
“It is a slow-growing type of non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Waldenström’s mostly forms in the bone marrow and can slow normal blood cell growth, which can lead to anemia and a weakened immune system,” the institute explains.
“The disease occurs because of an abnormality in B lymphocytes in the bone marrow, causing them to produce too much immunoglobulin protein (IgM) that thickens the blood. Although WM shares similarities with multiple myeloma and indolent lymphoma, it is a form of lymphoplasmacytic lymphoma, a low-grade (or indolent) type of lymphoma.”
Speaking to People in an interview last year, he explained what led to his diagnosis, saying, “Finally I got around to going [to the doctor] and the orthopedic surgeon said, ‘Yeah Gerry, there’s not much we can do for your shoulder, but there are some unusual blood markers here.’
“And so an orthopedic surgeon went to my family doctor, my family doctor referred me to an oncologist, and now I’m working with a hematology-oncology group in Fort Wayne.”
He continued, “Unfortunately, there’s no cure for it. So that weighs heavily in every decision I make. It was like 10 tons of concrete were just dropped on me. And I was a bit in denial for a while, I didn’t want to admit to it.”
Additionally testing, as well as a bone marrow biopsy, weeks later confirmed his diagnosis even more. However, he’s maintained an optimistic outlook and insisted to People, “I’m going to pack as much fun as I possibly can into my life and enjoy every moment. And when I’m gone, I’m gone, but I’m not going to have regrets.”
It’s important to note that not all patients diagnosed with WM need treatment as an active surveillance approach may also suffice, which Gerry Turner is said to be doing.
“While WM is incurable and will return despite treatment, many people are able to lead active lives and may experience years of symptom-free remission after treatment,” the institute adds.
Men are almost twice as likely to get WM as women, and the change of getting diagnosed with this disease increases with age
Genetics also seems to play a role in patients with WM. The Dana-Farber Cancer Institute says that up to 20 percent of people living with WM “have a first- or second-degree relative with WM or another lymphoma, multiple myeloma, or chronic lymphocytic leukemia.”
Understanding Lymphoma
Gerry Turner was diagnosed with Waldenström’s macroglobulinemia, a type of non-Hodgkin lymphoma, which is one of the two most common types of lymphoma.
Lymphoma is a cancer of the immune system that affects infection-fighting cells called lymphocytes. And there are more than 40 different types of lymphoma.
Sneaky Lymphoma Symptoms Often Lead to a Late Diagnosis
“Lymphoma is split up into a number of different categories,” Dr. Elise Chong, a medical oncologist at Penn Medicine, previously told SurvivorNet.
“The first distinguishing breakpoint, if you will, is non-Hodgkin lymphoma versus Hodgkin lymphoma,” she added, “and those sound like two different categories. But non-Hodgkin lymphoma comprises the majority of lymphoma, and Hodgkin lymphoma is a single specific type of lymphoma.”
Hodgkin lymphoma has distinctive, giant cells called Reed-Sternberg cells. The presence of these cells, which can be seen under a microscope, will help your doctor determine which of the two lymphoma types you have.
There are a few other important differences between non-Hodgkin lymphoma and Hodgkin lymphoma to note. For one thing, non-Hodgkin lymphoma is much more common. And you’re more likely to be diagnosed with it after age 55.
Age, Race, and Exposures Might All Factor Into Lymphoma Risk
It should be noted that another difference between these two types of lymphoma is that non-Hodgkin lymphoma is more likely to spread in a random fashion and be found in different groups of lymph nodes in the body, while Hodgkin lymphoma is more likely to grow in a uniform way from one group of lymph nodes directly to another.
These two different types of lymphoma behave, spread and respond to treatment differently, so it’s important for you to know which type you have.
Contributing: SurvivorNet Staff
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