Music Through Health Struggles
- “The Cure” keyboardist Roger O’Donnell, who recently announced he’s been battling a blood cancer called lymphoma, is exuding gratitude amid his band’s new studio album release and having their 1989 album Disintegration make Apple Music’s 100 Best Albums.
- O’Donnell said he was diagnosed with a “rare and aggressive” type of lymphoma last year, and has since underwent treatment, including immunotherapy, medication, and radiotherapy.
- Creating and listening to music, or engaging in any other form of art or creation, can be a powerful tool when coping with cancer or other health struggles.
- Research has shown that just listening to music can reduce anxiety and produce other positive effects on mental health.
The Cure, known for their emotionally moving songs like “A Forest,” “Fascination Street,” and “Friday I’m in Love,” released their newest album, titled Songs of a Lost Word, on November 1, 2024—marking their first new album since 2008, when they put out 4:13 Dream, their 13th studio album.
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In addition to the honorable award, it’s truly admirable to see O’Donnell continuing to do what he loves and make music with his bandmates despite his recent health struggles.
The band released their first album on May 11, 1979 called Three Imaginary Boyds, following by Seventeen Seconds in April 1980, Faith in April 1980, and the other memorable albums like Disintegration in May 1989.
Roger Smith, another keyboardist in The Cure, said the aimed to create a “big palette, a big wash of sound,” with this album in a recent interview with Billboard.
The Cure, including cancer warrior O’Donnell, performed their new album live at Troxy, an art Deco music venue in London, on the day of their 14th album release.
In response to a photo O’Donnell shared on his Instagram page, from the big concert, which was live-streamed on YouTube, one of his fans commented, “Fantastic concerts and new album! Welcome back! I love Going Nowhere, my request for the set list when you next tour.”
Another fan wrote, “Your presence on stage was exactly what was needed to make the new album and the two concerts feel ‘right’.
“Without you, the music would most likely have remained the same, but a big part of the band’s ‘soul’ would have been missing.”
“You contribute so much to the gorgeous sound,” commented a third.
The new album release comes about two months after O’Donnell, who joined The Cure in 1987 and continues touring with the group, revealed he’s doing “fine” a year after being diagnosed with a type of blood cancer.
RELATED: Finding Lymphoma Early — Do you Know the Symptoms and Risks?
In an effort to spread awareness for lymphoma during blood cancer awareness month, O’Donnell said in an Instagram post, “If you have the faintest thought you may have symptoms go and get checked out.”
The goth rocker also offered insight into his cancer battle with a sweet image of him and his partner Mimi, appearing happy amid adversity.
https://t.co/8cgSkWuYeR
📍53.8159° N, 3.0552° W pic.twitter.com/gWlsQYT12D— The Cure (@thecure) September 19, 2024
He captioned the post, “September is Blood Cancer Awareness Month so it’s a good opportunity to have a dialogue about these diseases,” O’Donnell began. “In September last year I was diagnosed with a very rare and aggressive form of lymphoma.
“I had ignored the symptoms for a few months but finally went for a scan and after surgery the result of the biopsy was devastating.”
O’Donnell explained, “I’ve now completed 11 months of treatment under some of the finest specialists in the world and with second opinions and advice from the teams that had developed the drugs I was being given. I had the benefit of the latest sci fi immunotherapy and some drugs that were first used 100 years ago.
“The last phase of treatment was radiotherapy which also was one of the first treatments developed against cancer. Im fine and the prognosis is amazing, the mad axe murderer knocked on the door and we didn’t answer.”
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What Is Lymphoma?
When it comes to understanding lymphoma, it’s a type a cancer of the immune system that affects infection-fighting cells called lymphocytes. And there are more than 40 different types of the disease.
“Lymphoma is split up into a number of different categories,” Dr. Elise Chong, a medical oncologist at Penn Medicine, previously explained to SurvivorNet.
“The first distinguishing breakpoint, if you will, is non-Hodgkin lymphoma versus Hodgkin lymphoma,” Dr. Chong said, “and those sound like two different categories. But non-Hodgkin lymphoma comprises the majority of lymphoma, and Hodgkin lymphoma is a single specific type of lymphoma.”
Dr. Elise Chong explains why your type of lymphoma matters
Hodgkin lymphoma has distinctive, giant cells called Reed-Sternberg cells. The presence of these cells, which can be seen under a microscope, will help your doctor determine which of the two lymphoma types you have.
There are a few other important differences between non-Hodgkin lymphoma and Hodgkin lymphoma to note. For one thing, non-Hodgkin lymphoma is much more common. And you’re more likely to be diagnosed with it after age 55. People usually develop Hodgkin lymphoma at a younger age.
It should be noted that another difference between these two types of lymphoma is that non-Hodgkin lymphoma is more likely to spread in a random fashion and be found in different groups of lymph nodes in the body, while Hodgkin lymphoma is more likely to grow in a uniform way from one group of lymph nodes directly to another.
These two different types of lymphoma behave, spread and respond to treatment differently, so it’s important for you to know which type you have.
Your doctor will tailor your treatment to the stage of your cancer, as well as other factors, such as how aggressive it is. Chemotherapy is generally part of the treatment at every stage. But in the early stages, radiation may be added, because stage I and II lymphomas tend to respond well to radiation.
Additional Hope for Treating Lymphoma
New findings presented in June at the 2024 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) annual meeting, a major annual conference where professionals share their latest research in cancer, has revealed that “less” intensive treatment actually results in more progress when it comes to Hodgkin lymphoma (along with ovarian and esophageal cancers).
Researchers from recent studies on those three types of cancers have discovered that less surgery, less chemotherapy or less radiation can lead to more progress for people diagnosed with either of those cancers, the Associated Press reported in a compilation of research.
The uplifting news comes about 30 years after one study looked into whether high‐dose chemotherapy and autologous bone marrow or stem cell transplantation was better than conventional chemotherapy for those battling metastatic breast cancer. The study found that intensive treatment didn’t work better than the normal amount.
What Does It Mean to Have Advanced-Stage Lymphoma?
Dr. Tatjana Kolevska, medical director for the Kaiser Permanente National Cancer Excellence Program who has no involvement in the new research, told AP news, the question of whether all the treatment used in the past is actually needed “should be asked over and over again.”
Additionally, Dr. William G. Nelson of Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, who was also not involved in the studies, told AP News, “The good news is that cancer treatment is not only becoming more effective, it’s becoming easier to tolerate and associated with less short-term and long-term complications.”
For advanced Hodgkin lymphoma, research funded by Takeda Oncology and presented during the ACSO’s recent conference, looked into two types of chemotherapy regimens for advanced Hodgkin lymphoma.
The findings ultimately revealed the less intensive treatment to be more effective for the blood cancer, as well as resulting in fewer side effects.
“After four years, the less harsh chemo kept the disease in check in 94% of people, compared to 91% of those who had the more intense treatment,” AP News explains. “The trial included 1,482 people in nine countries — Germany, Austria, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Australia and New Zealand.”
If you are experiencing lingering swollen lymph nodes in the neck, armpit or groin, have lost weight and are experiencing night sweats, make sure to log your symptoms and get in right away to see a doctor.
How Turning to Music Can Help Cancer Patients
Creating, listening, and even performing music can be a powerful tool. Most people have felt the positive effects of a musical experience, but fewer people know there is actually science to back it up.
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Dr. Alexander Pantelyat, a neurologist at Johns Hopkins, told SurvivorNet in an earlier interview, “Just listening to music activates more brain regions simultaneously than any other human activity.”
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A study published last year in the journal Parkinson’s Disease researched the effects music had on the brain. It found music can help reduce anxiety for patients. Dr. Serap Bastepe-Gray, who co-founded the Johns Hopkins Center for Music and Medicine with Dr. Pantelyat, led the study.
“The guitar, which is portable, affordable, and one of the most popular instruments in the U.S., has potential as a motivational therapeutic tool both in the clinical and community settings,” Dr. Bastepe-Gray said.
Music therapy is a resource cancer patients turn to during treatment. Music therapy includes “creating, singing, moving, listening and/or relaxing” to the sounds of your favorite songs according to the National Cancer Institute.
This form of therapy can help relieve depression, stress, anxiety, and pain.
Pancreatic cancer survivor Joel Naftelberg can also attest to the power of music, as he found the support he needed from his music family.
Cancer Survivor Joel Naftelberg Learned to Dance on His Problems
“The people that were my heroes in entertainment and rock and roll have been my friends and have been some of the most supportive people that I’ve had in my life,” he told SurvivorNet.
Naftelberg describes his cancer as a “monster.” It’s “attacked every facet of [his] life,” but that doesn’t mean he’s let it get the best of him. Music has been his saving grace.
“I have found music and rock and roll to be transformational,” he said. “Doesn’t necessarily solve anything, but it does let us dance on our problems for at least an hour or two.
“Nothing better on a Friday afternoon than to hang with your friends and listen to beautiful music.”
Focusing on something you love is an important way to build resilience in the face of coping with cancer and chronic disease, psychiatrist Dr. Samantha Boardman previously told SurvivorNet. She explained what she calls the “three wellsprings of vitality,” which are connecting with others, contributing to the lives of others, and challenging yourself to continue growing.
“Those are the cores of vitality, and the core pathways to enhance your everyday resilience,” Dr. Boardman said.
Contributing: SurvivorNet Staff
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