Jeff Bridges' Cancer Battle
- It’s great to hear actor Jeff Bridges, 74, is taking part in a big TV deal to film “The Old Man” season 2 as he’s in remission from lymphoma following an intense experience with Covid-19.
- Despite Bridges past health battles, he’s continuing to act and FX boss John Landgraf has reportedly confirmed that “The Old Man” is set to premiere in the fall of 2024, however the exact date hasn’t been revealed.
- Bridges announced in October 2020 that he was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma and about a year later in September 2021, he was declared to be in remission.
- Bridges had chemotherapy to treat his disease. Other lymphoma treatments include active surveillance, radiation, and bone marrow transplant.
- The two main types of lymphoma are Hodgkin and non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Non-Hodgkin lymphoma is more common, and you’re more likely to be diagnosed with it after age 55. People usually develop Hodgkin lymphoma at a younger age.
During the Television Critics Association’s Winter 2024 press tour, FX boss John Landgraf confirmed that “The Old Man” is set to premiere in the fall of 2024, however the exact date hasn’t been revealed, ScreenRant reports.
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Returning among the season two cast members are Jeff Bridges and John Lithgow, in addition to most of the first season’s cast, ScreenRant notes, further explaining, “The new season will focus on rescuing Angela and revealing her true parentage, while also potentially exploring new storylines beyond the original novel.”
Among the actors possibly returning are Amy Brenneman, Navid Negahban, Pej Vahdat, Bill Heck, and Christopher Redman.
According to ScreenRant, “The Old Man” filming has had a few roadblocks along the way, including a shutdown amid the Covid-19 pandemic and Bridges cancer diagnosis.
Deadline previously reported that filming for season two had been suspended due to the ongoing Writers’ Guild of America (WGA) work stoppage, which began in May 2023, with more than 11,000 union writers participating.
The work stoppage impacted many productions across television and Hollywood, but was due to writers advocating for higher pay and better working conditions, among other demands. The strike ultimately ended on September 27, 2023.
Jeff Bridges’ Cancer Battle
Jeff Bridges was diagnosed with lymphoma in 2020 and started chemotherapy treatment right away. Although Bridges hasn’t personally specified which type of lymphoma he was diagnosed with, AARP noted that his cancer was, in fact, non-Hodgkin lymphoma, cancer of a type of white blood cells called lymphocytes, which are part of the immune system.
While cancer treatment was going well, he was also diagnosed with COVID-19 in January 2021, and due to his cancer treatment having weakened his immune system, Bridges wound up spending months in the hospital.
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According to AARP, Bridges’ cancer went into remission quickly after he was put through chemotherapy infusion, which was followed by an oral chemo protocol.
He dubbed his wife as being his “absolute champion” as she stayed by Bridges’ side as he recovered from covid in the hospital. “She really fought to keep me off a ventilator. I didn’t want to be on it, and the doctors didn’t necessarily want that. But Sue was adamant,” he told the news outlet.
He was ultimately treated with a blood plasma called “convalescent plasma,” which consists of viral antibodies.
Despite his struggle, like so many cancer survivors, Bridges was left with a renewed appreciation for life.
“I’ll be honest. I didn’t know if I was going to make it,” he told Esquire in an earlier interview. “I was on death’s door there for a while in the hospital. When I finally went back to work, after a two-year hiatus, it was the most bizarre kind of thing. It felt like a dream.”
“I came back after all that time, and saw the same faces [while shooting ‘The Old Man’], the same cast and crew,” he added. “It was like we had a long weekend. I gathered everyone and I said, ‘I had the most bizarre dream, you guys.’ I was sick and out, but all that feels like a gray mush now.”
Cancer Survivors Say “Do What You Love Now”
Cancer treatment can disrupt life for many people, but survivors say that it’s important to focus on activities you enjoy doing in order to distract yourself from possible challenges.
For Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma survivor Lydie Roth, who has been battling cancer since she was a teenager, her diagnosis caused her to put her dreams of being a fitness model on hold. However, it hasn’t stopped her from doing what she loves working out any chance she can get despite regular pain she experiences due to her battle with sphenoid sinus cancer. Roth regularly shares her exercise routines through social media, which has attracted many fans and followers who are inspired by her journey.
“You never know what will happen in your life, so it’s better to spend time doing your favorite activities,” says Roth.
Ovarian cancer survivor Rhonda Gold was able to still enjoy her favorite hobbies thanks to the help from some of her closest friends. One of her favorite activities is participating in dog shows, but due to cancer treatment not allowing her to travel since she’s immunocompromised, she couldn’t be hands-on in the dog showing universe. However, to help Gold feel more involved, some of her friends would send her pictures from the dog shows and adorable pictures of the pups.
“There were a lot of virtual dog shows, people who were ringside with video and send me videos of what was happening,” Gold says.
“I did follow a lot of the results for the dog shows, because it was something I was interested in. Don’t take things for granted. Make sure you do are the things now that you love.”
Ovarian cancer survivor still got to enjoy her favorite activity during treatment
Treating non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma
“There are some lymphomas that are very treatable but not curable,” Dr. Lawrence Piro previously told SurvivorNet.
Dr. Lawrence Piro is the President and CEO of The Angeles Clinic and Research Institute in Los Angeles, a Cedars-Sinai affiliate. He adds that some lymphomas progress quickly if left untreated.
Non-Hodgkin lymphoma treatment depends on the type of lymphoma, the stage, and how fast it grows. People with aggressive non-Hodgkin lymphoma can expect to get a chemotherapy combination called R-CHOP, which is a drug cocktail consisting of chemotherapy drugs plus an antibody drug and a steroid to treat diffuse large B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma.
R-CHOP stands for:
- R: Rituximab (Rituxan) is a monoclonal antibody that attaches to a specific protein called CD20, which sits on the surface of B cells. It targets cancerous cells and destroys them.
- C: Cyclophosphamide is a type of chemotherapy drug
- D: Doxorubicin hydrochloride (hydroxydaunomycin) is a type of chemotherapy drug
- V: Vincristine sulfate (Oncovin) is a type of chemotherapy drug
- P: Prednisone is a steroid which lowers inflammation
Patients receiving R-CHOP receive the drug in six cycles that are three weeks apart.
“R-CHOP is a cocktail of drugs. There are five different drugs in that recipe,” Dr. Jennifer Crombie, medical oncologist at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, tells SurvivorNet.
WATCH: Understanding R-CHOP treatment.
R-CHOP side effects can include:
- Tiredness and weakness
- Hair loss
- Mouth sores
- Bruising and bleeding
- Increased risk of infection
- Appetite loss and weight loss
- Changes in bowel movements
Immunotherapy and targeted therapy are also treatment options for non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma patients.
Rituximab (Rituxan) was the first immunotherapy drug approved to treat some forms of non-Hodgkin lymphoma. “Rituximab is the immunotherapy that has been approved the longest, and we have the most experience with lymphoma,” Dr. Chong tells SurvivorNet.
Rituxan does come with side effects, which may include fever, chills, swelling under the skin, itching, and mild shortness of breath.
Brentuximab vedotin (Adcetris) is a relatively new targeted treatment for non-Hodgkin lymphoma and Hodgkin lymphoma. This drug is an antibody-drug conjugate that combines an antibody (a type of protein that recognizes foreign substances in the body) with a drug that treats cancer. It uses a special protein to deliver medicine directly into the cancer cell.
Non-Hodgkin lymphoma can also be treated with radiation, which aims beams of intense energy at the cancer to stop cancer cells from growing and dividing.
What Life May Look Like After Treatment
If patients have not experienced too many complications from their chemotherapy, “they are often able to go back to many of the same things that they did before they had their diagnosis of cancer and are able to live full and complete lives,” Dr. Michael Jain, medical oncologist at Moffitt Cancer Center, told SurvivorNet in an earlier interview.
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Age, Race, and Exposures Might All Factor Into Lymphoma Risk
If the cancer does return at some point, any future treatment you get will depend on:
- The type of lymphoma you had
- The type of treatment you received for it
- How long it has been since you finished your treatment
- Your overall health
Making a Survivorship Care Plan
So what comes after successful treatment? “At that point we often focus on the survivorship issues that they may have, preventing second cancers, and properly following them,” Dr. Jain explains.
A survivorship plan will include a schedule for follow-up exams and tests, plus a schedule for tests to check for any long-term health impacts from your cancer or treatment, and screening for any new cancers. (You’re at higher risk for cancers such as melanoma, lung cancer, and kidney cancer if you’ve had non-Hodgkin lymphoma).
Your doctor will likely tell you what to look out for in terms of side effects that could show up late or over the long term. Your care team will provide you with diet and physical activity recommendations as part of your survivorship plan.
Moving On From Treatment
It’s natural to feel continuing mental health effects, such as depression and anxiety, even after your treatment ends. This is where you can benefit from a supportive community. Look to strengthen your relationships with friends and family, faith groups, support groups, and mental health professionals to buoy you as you move on from treatment.
In addition to caring for their mental health, people who finish treatment and are in complete remission will want to move on from cancer with a physically healthy lifestyle. Eating nutritious foods, exercising regularly, staying at a healthy weight, and not smoking are all lifestyle practices that generally contribute to a healthy quality of life.
Indeed, cancer and its treatment might naturally point survivors in the direction of such practices. “Mostly [we’re] trying to maximize the quality of life that people have, because once you have a cancer diagnosis, I think it is an important time in someone’s life where they can take stock and really understand what’s important,” Dr. Jain adds.
Contributing: SurvivorNet Staff
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