Kathy Gets Her Shots
- Kathy Griffin was diagnosed with stage 1 lung cancer earlier this year and shares with fans that she recently got her 3rd Covid-19 vaccine and a flu shot.
- Some cancer treatments make people diagnosed with cancer more susceptible to the coronavirus, as some treatments, like chemotherapy, blunt the immune system; speak with your oncologist about getting the Covid-19 vaccine if you haven’t done so already.
- Griffin treated her cancer with surgery. Treatment options for lung cancer can include surgery, chemotherapy, radiation therapy, targeted therapy, or a combination of these treatments.
In a post shared on Instagram, Griffin is pictured wearing sunglasses and a mask as she gets her new shot. She also recently had her flu shot, she says. Griffin writes playfully, “3rd Moderna shot AND a flu shot! Yes. Fear me.”
Read MoreThe Covid-19 Vaccine for Cancer Fighters
Some treatments for cancer, such as chemotherapy, blunt the immune system, meaning you could be more likely to contract Covid-19. That’s why it’s important to get the Covid-19 vaccine, particularly if you’ve been diagnosed with cancer. Related: Which COVID-19 Vaccine Pfizer, Moderna or J&J is Best For Cancer Patients?Dr. Vincent Rajkumar, a doctor from the Mayo Clinic, spoke in an earlier interview about the importance of getting vaccinated if you have cancer. He also assures people of their safety, saying, "It is very safe and there is no increased risk to you just because you have cancer."
Related: Expert Panel Advises Everyone with Cancer to Get COVID-19 Vaccine
"As long as you are feeling well, just go ahead with the vaccine whenever it's offered to you. Sometimes even on the same day if you are going to the clinic to get a small dose of chemotherapy and they're giving the vaccine, just get it, there's really no major problem," Dr. Rajkumar says. "The only people for whom we are saying to delay by a month or two are patients who have had a stem cell transplant because we have wiped out (the patients’ immune system). And so you want to wait until some of the recovery happens so when you give the vaccine, they have an immune response."
5 COVID-19 Vaccine Questions Answered by Expert Physician
Griffin’s Lung Cancer Battle
Griffin, a non-smoker, was diagnosed with stage 1 lung cancer earlier this year. There are two main types of lung cancer, and the type a person is diagnosed with will impact their treatment plan. The two types of lung cancer are:
- Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is the most common type and makes up about 85% of cases.
- Small cell lung cancer (SCLC) is less common, but it tends to grow faster than NSCLC and is treated very differently.
Treatment options for lung cancer can include surgery, chemotherapy, radiation therapy, targeted therapy, or a combination of these treatments. Griffin had surgery to treat her cancer. In an earlier interview, Dr. Joseph Friedberg, the head of the Division of Thoracic Surgery at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, explains the preparation process for lung cancer surgery.
He says, "At this point, CAT scan, the PET scan, the MRI, and we've biopsied these lymph nodes through one of two different techniques. We say this is stage one. And then if we're thinking about surgery simultaneously with the tests that we're getting to "stage" the cancer, we're also going to be getting a risk assessment."
"So what is your nutritional status? We'll get your heart checked out," says Dr. Friedberg. "We'll look at the carotid arteries, which are the blood vessels that supply blood to your brain. Because in addition to smoking, which is the most common cause of lung cancer causing cancers, it also causes heart disease and other arterial diseases."
Preparing for Lung Cancer Surgery
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