One of the most resilient and influential Supreme Court Justices, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, is once again battling cancer. This recurrence marks her fifth bout with cancer, but the ever-determined Ginsburg says her prognosis is promising and she is undergoing chemotherapy treatment.
In a statement, Ginsburg, 87, announced that she began a course of chemotherapy called gemcitabine on May 19 once doctors discovered lesions on her liver during a routine scan in February. They later performed a biopsy and concluded that Ginsburg’s cancer had returned. Ginsburg’s statement also says that initial immunotherapy treatments proved unsuccessful, but courses of chemotherapy are working well and her lesions have reduced thanks to the treatment. She will continue to undergo bi-weekly chemotherapy, but is able to resume with daily activities and her work on the Supreme Court.
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Cancer Survivors’ Advice: Don’t Give Up
SurvivorNet has spoken to numerous people who have faced a cancer diagnosis head-on more than once, and they’ve shared some much-needed advice for those coping with a recent diagnosis.
Melanie Griffith, who is a Master Instructor as well as the Senior Director of Talent and Innovation at SoulCycle, has battled cancer two separate times the first being non-Hodgkin's lymphoma about 10 years ago and then more recently when a tumor was found in her small intestine. While speaking to SurvivorNet, Griffith said that it’s understandable people can sometimes jump to the worst-case-scenario after a cancer diagnosis, but she encourages everyone take some time everyday to remind themselves that they can overcome this hurdle.
"Look at yourself in the mirror every single day and say, 'Whatever it takes, that's what I'm going to give,’" she says. "This, I believe, I have lived, I preach it, I've seen it, none of it is too much to handle if you break it down into bite-sized pieces. If you take one moment and then the next … don't prepare for the whole journey if you can just prepare for the day."
Two-time cancer survivor Melanie Griffith shares thoughtful advice for everyone
In many cases, people can fall into a theoretical dark hole once they’ve been diagnosed with cancer. For three-time cancer survivor Ed Yakacki, he admits that it was difficult to keep fighting, but eventually shook the feeling and channelled all his energy into advocacy.
“I kind of felt like how lucky I was to still be here,” Yakacki says. “I should be doing something different than feeling sorry for myself. I was fighting for my old life not realizing like my old life was over. It was going to be a new normal. How I came out of this dark, deep place was becoming an advocate. I felt like that was a real big turning point in my closure or coming to terms with my first diagnosis…This isn’t the end. Just because somebody gets diagnosed with cancer, this isn’t the end. There is light at the end of the tunnel.”
Three-time cancer survivor Ed Yakacki channeled his anger into advocacy
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