'Survivor' Legend Ethan Zohn Turns 49
- Former Survivor winner and two-time cancer survivor Ethan Zohn just celebrated his 49th birthday. A momentous occasion for someone who overcame two Hodgkin lymphoma battles.
- Early symptoms of lymphoma can be tricky to notice; they may include swollen lymph nodes, fatigue or unexplained weight loss.
- Cancer will change your life, but we've seen survivors thrive time and time again. Ovarian cancer survivor Marecya Burton, for example, found her new passion after beating the disease. And breast cancer survivor Fernanda Savino says that cancer brought her a new appreciation for her relationships and her body.
Zohn is a reality Survivor and a two-time cancer survivor determined to make the most of every day. He won season three of the hit CBS show Survivor in 2001. But after pushing his mind and body to the test in front of millions, he then went on to face his toughest challenges yet two Hodgkin lymphoma battles.
Read MoreEthan Zohn's Cancer Story
Zohn was diagnosed with CD20-positive Hodgkin lymphoma when he was just 35 years old as he was training for the New York City marathon. The diagnosis came after he first experienced really itchy skin and eventually found a swollen lymph node that had popped out of the side of his neck.He then underwent chemotherapy, radiation and two stem cell transplants for treatment. Less than two years after the first transplant was when his cancer relapsed.
RELATED: "Survivor" Champion Ethan Zohn Says Meditation & Mindfulness Helped Him Battle Lymphoma
But for this survivor in more ways than one, the most difficult part of his cancer journey was not receiving his diagnosis or learning that his disease had returned first after chemotherapy and later following a failed stem cell transplant but rather adjusting to life after he beat the disease.
"You know, when a doctor tells you to do something, or you'll die, you pretty much do it," Zohn previously told SurvivorNet. "There's no choice, and so it was kind of easy for me to go through cancer."
With so much on his mind as a young cancer survivor, Zohn really struggled. That's why he eventually teamed up with the Lymphoma Research Foundation to spread awareness about all stages of the cancer journey in the hopes that others wouldn't feel as lost after conquering cancer.
"As a young adult facing a cancer diagnosis and then living in remission, there's so many, you know, aspects of our journey that differ from pediatrics and older adults," Zohn said. "It's fertility; it's insurance, it's getting your job, it's dating, marriage. All this stuff is going through your mind, and they're just weren't that many resources for me to look into."
Thankfully, he's been cancer-free since 2012, and still has a desire to champion for other cancer survivors. All of us at SurvivorNet are wishing him the best as he takes on the Boston Marathon.
Learning about Ethan Zohn’s Cancer: Hodgkin Lymphoma
Lymphoma, in general, is a cancer of the immune system that begins in the white blood cells called lymphocytes. There are more than 40 different types of the disease, but Hodgkin lymphoma and non-Hodgkin lymphoma are the main two sub-categories with the latter being more common. The American Cancer Society estimates that about 8,540 new cases (4,570 in males and 3,970 in females) of Hodgkin lymphoma will be found in the United States in 2022.
The type of white blood cells linked to the disease determines the distinction. If doctors are unable to detect the Reed-Sternberg cell a giant cell derived from B lymphocytes then it is categorized as non-Hodgkin lymphoma.
In a previous interview, Dr. Elise Chong, a medical oncologist at Penn Medicine, explained that Hodgkin lymphoma is most often seen in younger adults. And although less common, it is generally easier to cure than non-Hodgkin lymphoma.
What Kind of Lymphoma Do You Have? Why Your Type Matters
Lymphoma treatment depends greatly on the nature of your specific diagnosis. For non-Hodgkin lymphoma patients, their cancer is more likely to spread in a random fashion and be found in different groups of lymph nodes in the body. Hodgkin lymphoma cancers, on the other hand, are more likely to grow in a uniform way from one group of lymph nodes directly to another. Some lymphomas, called indolent lymphomas, might not even need to be treated right away because they're slow-growing. In this case, careful monitoring including imaging scans such as PET/CT is used to track the progress of your cancer and gauge whether it needs treatment yet.
"Where I use PET/CT in my practice quite a bit is if I'm observing a patient… and there is some new symptom or situation which makes me concerned that the patient may be changing from an indolent lymphoma to a more aggressive lymphoma," Dr. Jakub Svoboda, medical oncologist at Penn Medicine, previously told SurvivorNet. "We refer to it as transformation."
Signs of Lymphoma
One thing to note about lymphomas, in general, is that these types of cancer often creep in quietly, without symptoms. And even when symptoms do show up, they don't necessarily point directly to cancer. In a previous interview, Dr. Chong explained that lymphoma symptoms could be difficult to detect.
Sneaky Lymphoma Symptoms Often Lead to a Late Diagnosis
"The symptoms of lymphoma, especially if you have a low-grade lymphoma, often are no symptoms," Dr. Chong explained. "People say, but I feel completely fine, and that's very normal."
People with lymphoma do not always have symptoms, but common ones are:
- Swollen glands in your neck, armpit or groin
- Fever
- Chills
- Night sweats
- Unexplained weight loss
- Feeling tired
- Swelling in your stomach
No matter what, it's important to communicate anything usual happening to your body, or your child's, with a doctor. Even if you think there's nothing to worry about, it's good to rule out the possibility of more serious issues.
Thriving as a Cancer Survivor
A cancer diagnosis will change your life. But as we've seen in the case of Zohn, it is more than possible to thrive on the other side of your cancer journey.
Take Marecya Burton, for example. She was diagnosed with ovarian cancer at just 20 years old. Burton was a college student-athlete looking forward to graduation at the time, but all that had to change when she was forced to move home to start treatment.
Former College Cheerleader Reinvents Herself After Surviving Ovarian Cancer
"That was definitely challenging for me," Burton said in a previous interview with SurvivorNet. "I was looking forward to graduating."
She also had planned on pursuing a law degree after graduation another dream she had to give up.
"I really had to, in a sense, put my life on hold," she said. "Sometimes I look at where I am, and I can't help but wonder, would I be further had I not had my diagnosis?"
But instead of law school, Burton found a new passion: teaching. She became a high school teacher in Baltimore, Maryland, and she's since made peace with her new direction in life.
"I wouldn't change my career for the world," she says. "It's so fulfilling."
Contributors: SurvivorNet Staff
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