Healing After Cancer
- Doug Aldrich, 61, former guitarist of mega-bands Whitesnake and Dio, says he is “feeling blessed” as his life is “getting back to normal” following surgery and radiation for throat cancer, and is currently on tour with Australian-American rock band The Dead Daisies as he resumes normalcy in his life.
- The husband and father was diagnosed with throat cancer last year after finding a lump that didn’t go away, and thankfully he sought immediate care. After some medical tests, including a CT scan, MRI and biopsy, Aldrich was told the tumor came back positive with HPV 16, a strain of human papillomavirus, which is common, transmitted sexually and causes 92% of throat cancers, according to top medical experts.
- There’s no annual screening for throat cancer like there is for other more common cancers. Instead, doctors usually find throat cancers when a patient comes in with symptoms that may point to it. Some symptoms include: cough, changes in your voice, difficulty swallowing, ear pain, a sore throat, or a lump that doesn’t heal, as in Aldrich’s case. Don’t delay seeing a doctor if something seems amiss and your symptoms are not going away.
The North Carolina native did an interview with Ralph Rasmussen on Radio Bypass, where he gave his positive health updates following his diagnosis last year.
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And thankfully, after a bit of a healing process, Aldrich has been well enough to continue with his music, though it’s a little different this time around dealing with some side effects.
“I’ve been playing a lot. There’s a few little issues that pop up — I get some swelling sometimes. After they do that surgery on you, there’s some restructuring of your nasal cavity and stuff like that in your throat. So there’s a little bit to get used to, but I can’t complain.”
“I’m doing really good,” he added. “And after what I went through, I’m definitely feeling blessed.”
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When Aldrich officially finished his six weeks of radiation, he said he suffered from fatigue, but “it went away really quick,” though he was “taking naps every day” during his treatment.
Asked if he is now “clear” from his cancer (which started in his tonsils), Aldrich replied: “I don’t know if I’m clear. I guess it takes five or seven years before you’re actually clear, but the doctors — the surgery was really good. Everything was positive, and they fried me really good for six weeks, so I’m pretty sure everything else that was left over is gone.”
He said he will follow up soon with bloodwork and a full body PET scan, “to determine if everything’s good.”
Luckily, despite his medical team removing “30 lymph nodes,” the musician didn’t suffer any vocal cord damage, “not that I do a lot of singing with The Dead Daisies, but I can do it.”
‘I Never Though I Would Get Cancer’
In December, Aldrich recalled his initial diagnosis during an appearance on Sirius XM’s “Trunk Nation with Eddie Trunk.” “I never thought I would get cancer,” he shared, explaining how he had noticed a little bump while he was shaving, but his throat didn’t hurt and he didn’t really feel any pain or discomfort at all, so he wasn’t too concerned.
He watched it for a bit, then after his tour with the Daisies, got in to see a doctor when it wasn’t going away. After a CT scan and and MRI, along with a biopsy, they determined it was cancer.
“So it came back positive for HPV 16 throat cancer,” he told Trunk. “Definitely not good.” HPV, human papillomavirus, is a common sexually transmitted virus that most humans have had in their body at some point. HPV 16 (and 18) are tied to the most cancers. Aldrich speaking on this topic is very helpful to reduce the stigma of these common viral strains, as awareness is key at knowing these risk factors, and the more we talk about it, the more lives can be saved.
RELATED: Majority of Throat Cancer Diagnoses Are Caused by HPV – Here’s What You Need to Know
The dedicated father and husband (he quit Whitesnake in 2014 to be more present for his son), who lives in Los Angeles with his family, described the feeling of not being able to get immediate answers about his prognosis. “You start freaking out, like, ‘Oh man. Okay, what stage is it?’ And it’s very difficult to get definitive answers on stuff, ’cause nobody really knows until you do all these tests and all this stuff. So there’s probably three or four weeks before you find out what stage it is or whatever.”
After getting a couple of opinions, he decided to go with Dr. Allen Ho from Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, who has teamed up with SurvivorNet in the past to share crucial information on throat cancer and HPV. Aldrich liked the fact that Dr. Ho was “younger” and had likely had more “up-to date” training “in terms of robotics.”
“He was very confident,” Aldrich added of Dr. Ho, who performed his successful five-hour surgery.
Though Aldrich had to miss his band’s European tour the time due to the surgery and recovery, he is happy to report he’s embarking on another tour this month.
What Causes Throat Cancer
You’ve heard this about other cancers, and it’s true for throat cancer, too — doctors don’t always know for sure what causes the changes in your cells that lead to throat cancer. But, they do know several factors that can increase your risk for the condition. They include:
- Tobacco use, including cigarettes and chewing tobacco
- Heavy drinking
- Too few fruits and vegetables in your diet
- Acid reflux disease
But, the overwhelming majority of throat cancers develop after infection with a cancer-causing strain of HPV. In fact, while non-HPV throat cancers are declining, HPV-related cases are on the rise.
“It can take 15 to 20 years for HPV to develop from a viral infection into a tumor,” Dr. Allen Ho, Aldrich’s doctor, previously told SurvivorNet.
Dr. Ted Teknos, also in a prior chat, added that “HPV 16 has been shown to cause 92% of head and neck cancers. It’s a sexually transmitted disease. And it’s an epidemic in the United States.”
Most HPV infections resolve on their own. The immune system clears it out as it does many other infections. But, in some cases, the infection sticks around and over time leads to cancer in the area where the infection began the mouth, throat, genitals or anus.
HPV and Throat Cancer
We know that HPV can lead to cancer in certain instances … but just how risky is the human papillomavirus?
“The vast majority of humans in the US, both men and women, will eventually get infected with human papillomavirus,” Dr. Ho shared. “The important thing to know about HPV is that there are many different strains, and only a couple of them tend to be more cancer-inducing. Probably less than 1% of the population who get infected happen to have the cancer-causing virus that somehow their immune system fails to clear.”
Dr. Allen Ho talks HPV and throat cancer
The HPV vaccine was recently approved in the US for people up to age 45, though it’s recommended that children get it before they become sexually active, which can prevent a lot of these cancers later in life. Gardasil 9 protects against nine strains of HPV – including the strains most likely to cause cancer and genital warts. But it can’t provide protection if a person has already been exposed to HPV. That’s why doctors recommend it for children as young as 9.
Manage Your Throat Cancer Risk
You can lower your risk for throat cancer by avoiding HPV, which means avoiding sexual activity or having safe sex, limiting sexual partners and always using a condom or dental dam. If you are under the age of 26 or the parent to someone under the age of 26, you can prevent cancer later by getting an HPV vaccine now.
Should I Give My Kids the HPV Vaccine? A Leading Doctor On Why She Says “Yes!”
You can also lower your risk for throat cancer when you take these actions:
- Quit smoking or don’t start
- Eat a healthy diet that’s rich in fruits and vegetables
- Avoid alcohol or drink only in moderation
If you or your partner have a history of HPV or you have other risk factors for throat cancer, talk to your doctor about your individual risk and other ways you can stay healthy.
Signs and Symptoms of Throat Cancer
There’s no annual screening for throat cancer like there is for other more common cancers. Instead, doctors usually find throat cancers when a patient comes in with symptoms that may point to it. Some symptoms include:
- A cough
- Changes in your voice
- Difficulty swallowing
- Ear pain
- A lump or sore that doesn’t heal
- A sore throat
- Weight loss
When Doug Aldrich found the lump in his throat, he kept an eye on it, and got in to see a doctor when it didn’t diminish in size. Then he sought multiple opinions for his care. Now he’s on the mend and appears to have a good prognosis.
Catching cancer early is optimal, so never delay seeing a doctor if you find something amiss that doesn’t go away.
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