An unexpected cancer diagnosis amid the coronavirus pandemic is certainly a scary scenario for anyone. However, as Chicago-based ESPN host Marc Silverman announced on his show that he has been diagnosed with Stage 3 non-Hodgkins Lymphoma, fans and fellow colleagues are stepping up and showing him overwhelming support.
Silverman, 48, also known by his nickname “Silvy,” broke the news about his cancer diagnosis during his ESPN sports/talk WMVP 1000-AM show, Good Karma Brands He also shared that he plans to start chemotherapy treatments next week in order to fight the disease. Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma is a disease that starts in the white blood cells and lymph nodes, and can drastically affect a person’s immune system.
Read MoreDidn't catch it yesterday, woke up to it today. Our @ESPNWestPalm teammate Marc Silverman up at @ESPN1000 in Chicago announced he has Stage 3 cancer. @WaddleandSilvy, we're thinking about you. You've got the whole GKB family behind you.✊
— Maybe Sports? LaVicka (@KLV1063) April 22, 2020
Sending my very best wishes to our Chicago teammate, Marc Silverman, as he takes on the fight of his life. I haven't known him long, but I've been a fan for many years. He's a great broadcaster, but an even more genuine guy. Kick cancer's ass! @WaddleandSilvy #SilvyStrong
— Doug Russell (@DougRussell) April 22, 2020
Wishing great medical care and great luck to Marc Silverman @WaddleandSilvy. Thousands of listeners are pulling for you!
— Jay Fehnel (@jdfehnel) April 22, 2020
Marc Silverman, you've got this. Brax and Mason are in your corner, Allie is right by your side, and all of Chicago is rooting for you. We love you @WaddleandSilvy https://t.co/5lKmNhTdce
— Matt Gniecki ????â¬‡ï¸ (@gniecskiii) April 22, 2020
Hodgkins Lymphoma Vs. Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma
Some of you might be asking what’s the difference between Hodgkin Lymphoma and Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma? Even though both of them are a type of lymphatic cancer, the difference between the two surrounds the type of lymphocyte that is involved. Doctors can determine whether the cancer is Hodgkin or non-Hodgkin by examining the cancer cells under a microscope, and if they find an abnormal cell called Reed-Sternberg, then the cancer is determined as Hodgkin. If the cell is not present, then it is classified as non-Hodgkin.
Related: Bursting With Joy Lauren Chiarello's Double Miracle Twins After Hodgkin Lymphoma
Treatment For Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma
Dr. Julie Vose, a medical oncologist at the University of Nebraska, talked to SurvivorNet about how CAR T-Cell therapy is one of the ways oncologists are trying to treat non-Hodgkin lymphoma. According to Dr. Vose, CAR T-Cells are a living drug where T-Cells are taken from the patient in order to alert the cells that there is cancer and help them fight them off.
“As part of the treatment, cells are taken from the patient, they’re sent to a pharmaceutical company for genetic modification to try to make them more potent, or noticeable to the cancer cell, so they’re genetically modified with a vector which helps us attach the tumor cell in the patient to a patient’s own T-Cell which has been woken up to try to recognize the cancer a little bit more and fight it,” Dr. Vose tells SurvivorNet.
Related: How is CAR-T Therapy Used to Treat Multiple Myeloma?
From there, the patient will receive three days of chemotherapy in order to help a patient’s damaged immune system and the patient will receive the modified T-Cells and will be monitored for a lengthy time in order to help patients through side effects. Dr. Vose explains that side effects can include low blood counts as well as risk of infection and bleeding. During treatment, some patients will need to receive blood transfusions and be on antibiotics in order to keep themselves safe.
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