Understanding Lymphoma
- Actor and cancer survivor Jeff Bridges, 72, says he feels "terrific" after beating lymphoma about six months ago.
- Bridges announced in October 2020 that he was diagnosed with lymphoma, and about a year later in September 2021, he was declared to be in remission.
- While Jeff Bridges didn't disclose publicly the type of lymphoma he was diagnosed with, the two most common types of this disease are Hodgkin and non-Hodgkin 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.
The 72-year-old said so on Tuesday, March 29, during a virtual panel discussion planned to promote The Old Man, Bridges' new FX series. In the show, Bridges plays a character who is in the early stages of Alzheimer's, and he said his own health problems influenced how he played his character.
Read More"As far as I'm concerned, FX and all of the team were so considerate and gave me all of the time I needed to heal and all the support I needed," he said during the panel discussion. "The protocols we were still in Covid made me feel very safe and eager to get down to business and play."
Jeff Bridges' Cancer Battle
Jeff Bridges broke the news of his cancer diagnosis lymphoma in October 2020 via social media. He announced his diagnosis saying, "I have a great team of doctors, and the prognosis is good."
The actor had chemotherapy to treat his disease, and throughout his cancer journey, he kept his fans updated during his treatment process. He shared exciting updates, such as news that his tumor is shrinking, in his online journal and on social media.
View this post on Instagram
Luckily, his doctors were right about his prognosis. In September of last year, the actor posted to his blog that his cancer has entered remission.
"The 9" x 12" mass has shrunk down to the size of a marble," Bridges writes. He also suffered after contracting Covid in the midst of his cancer battle earlier this year. "Covid kicked my ass pretty good, but I'm double vaccinated and feeling much better now."
Understanding Lymphoma
While Jeff Bridges didn't disclose publicly the type of lymphoma he was diagnosed with, the two most common types of this disease are Hodgkin and non-Hodgkin 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.
"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."
What Kind of Lymphoma Do You Have? Why Your Type Matters
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, like Jeff Bridges. People usually develop Hodgkin lymphoma at a younger age.
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.
Learn more about SurvivorNet's rigorous medical review process.
