Jeff Bridges' Lymphoma Updates
- Actor Jeff Bridges, 70, was recently diagnosed with lymphoma, a blood disease.
- Bridges has been sharing his journey by way of a groovy online journal.
- Lymphoma is a treatable disease; keeping a positive outlook through cancer treatment can help make the journey easier.
Thinking of Jeff Bridges today, and hope he is doing well. I love how his website is hand-written. Lots of great stuff to check out at https://t.co/fV13ZEY2Fv. pic.twitter.com/GDkndWN5Nm
— Kevin Brackett (@KevinRBrackett) November 8, 2020
Bridges’ Lymphoma Battle
Lymphoma is a type of blood cancer and commonly falls into two categories: Hodgkin Lymphoma and Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma. While we don’t know which type of lymphoma Bridges was diagnosed with, we do know that, between the two, Non-Hodgkin lymphoma is the more common type. However, Hodgkin Lymphoma is considered more treatable.
The way this disease is treated varies upon what type of lymphoma a person is diagnosed with. Treatment for Hodgkin Lymphoma includes radiation, chemotherapy, and in rare cases stem-cell transplant. The treatment options for Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma also include chemotherapy, radiation, stem-cell transplant, or medications. We will look to Bridges’ journal for treatment updates as his cancer journey progresses.
Related: Recovering From A Stem Cell Transplant
In a previous interview with SurvivorNet, Dr. Chelsea Pinnix of the MD Anderson Cancer Center said of radiation therapy for lymphoma, “For indolent lymphoma, like follicular lymphoma or marginal zone lymphoma, radiation can be effective with only two doses of treatment. We affectionately call it boom boom. And that’s for gray and two fractions. And so this strategy is used for patients that have follicular lymphoma, for a marginal zone or malt lymphoma, to palliate areas of symptomatic disease. Just two days of treatment can be effective.”
Dr. Pinnix told SurvivorNet that trials are underway for this time of treatment. “We actually have clinical trials ongoing now at MD Anderson, looking at four gray and two fractions as definitive management for patients with orbital malt lymphomas. That trial, we’ve almost finished accruing. And the responses have been excellent. More than 80% of patients have a complete response to just two fractions of treatment.”
Some Types of Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma Treatable With "Boom-Boom" Radiation
Keeping a Postive Attitude
Keeping a positive attitude, the way Bridges seems to be doing through his lymphoma battle, can alleviate feelings of anxiety or depression that may arise after a cancer diagnosis. Dr. Zuri Murrell of Cedars-Sinai Medical Center told SurvivorNet in an earlier interview how important it is to keep a positive attitude.
Related: Learn to Accept Yourself A Huge Part of Living With Cancer
Dr. Murrell said, “My patients who thrive, even with stage four cancer, from the time that they, about a month after they’re diagnosed, I kind of am pretty good at seeing who is going to be okay. Now doesn’t that mean I’m good at saying that the cancer won’t grow. But I’m pretty good at telling what kind of patient are going to still have this attitude and probably going to live the longest, even with bad, bad disease. And those are patients who, they have gratitude in life.”
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