Jeff Bridges' Cancer Battle
- Actor Jeff Bridges, 74, will be premiering season two of “The Old Man” on Thursday, September 12 at 10pm on FX, and we’re admiring how “The Big Lebowski” star quickly bounced back to normalcy after battling cancer and Covid-19.
- Jeff Bridges was diagnosed with lymphoma in 2020 and started chemotherapy treatment right away. Although Bridges hasn’t personally specified which type of lymphoma he was diagnosed with, AARP noted that his cancer was, in fact, non-Hodgkin lymphoma, cancer of a type of white blood cells called lymphocytes, which are part of the immune system.
- While cancer treatment was going well, he was also diagnosed with COVID-19 in January 2021, and due to his cancer treatment having weakened his immune system, Bridges wound up spending months in the hospital.
- However, he was able to beat COVID-19 after his hospital stay and his cancer went into remission soon after he underwent chemotherapy treatments.
“The Old Man” season two is set to premiere with it’s first two episodes, of an eight-episode series, on Thursday, September 12 at 10pm on FX. A new episode will then follow weekly after the premiere and episodes will be streamed the following day on Hulu.
Read MoreFX Networks explains that in the new season, “Former CIA agent ‘Dan Chase’ (Jeff Bridges) and former FBI Assistant Director ‘Harold Harper’ (John Lithgow) set off on their most important mission to date—to recover ‘Emily Chase’ (Alia Shawkat) after she is kidnapped by ‘Faraz Hamzad’ (Navid Negahban), a powerful Afghan tribal leader. With all three men claiming her as their daughter, Emily finds herself in an identity crisis that has dire implications.View this post on Instagram
“As Chase and Harper fight their way to get to Emily, Hamzad is forced to make decisions that could endanger his family and the village he has led faithfully for a lifetime. ‘Khadija’ (Jacqueline Antaramian), Hamzad’s sister and trusted advisor, is concerned about the path her brother has taken and what it will cost them. As the stakes get higher and more secrets are uncovered, ‘Zoe McDonald’ (Amy Brenneman) makes surprising moves after having been drawn into a new world by Chase. Meanwhile, ‘Julian Carson’ (Gbenga Akinnagbe) is disillusioned by his former role and finds himself at a crossroads with a path he hadn’t imagined for himself.”
In a recent interview with TV Line, Bridges—who executive produced the show alongside Warren Littlefield, Dan Shotz, David Schiff, Craig Silverstein, Jon Watts, Jonathan E. Steinberg and Robert Levine—offered some additional insight into the new series.
Bridges told the website, “[We go] looking for our daughter … either Angela or Emily, depending on who you’re asking! But we’re traveling all over the world this season, [including to Hong Kong, England and Afghanistan].”
Littlefield also spoke with TV Line, adding, “It’s a father’s quest to get his daughter and bring her to safety.”
They also revealed season two of will follow where season one left off. Both seasons of “The Old Man” are based on the stand-alone 2017 thriller novel by Thomas Perry, which it was named after.
Bridges is the epitome of a survivor and continues to embrace his strength through his acting in “The Old Man” as his role encompasses a lot of action.
Looking back on his fight scenes in season one of “The Old Man,” Bridges told ABC News Live in an earlier interview, “Well, I enjoy … I’ve done a lot of fights in my career and I love doing it.
“It’s like a kid thing or something, but I think this is the most extensive fight stuff I’ve done.”
He continued, “We were lucky to have two master stunt coordinators Henry Kingi Jr. and Tim Connolly, who choreographed this thing and it’s like, when you’re acting in a scene, you want it to be real, and you want it to be exciting and surprising.
“And those guys apply all that to this fighting … very real.”
Looking back on his resilience while battling cancer and Covid-19 during the pandemic, which took place after filming for season one of “The Old Man” began, he explained, “I got sick and two years passed before I went back to work.
He noted that he got “really, really sick” when he got Covid-19 while going through chemotherapy, but returning to work was “terrific.”
Jeff Bridges’ Cancer Battle
Jeff Bridges was diagnosed with lymphoma in 2020 and started chemotherapy treatment right away. Although Bridges hasn’t personally specified which type of lymphoma he was diagnosed with, AARP noted that his cancer was, in fact, non-Hodgkin lymphoma, cancer of a type of white blood cells called lymphocytes, which are part of the immune system.
While cancer treatment was going well, he was also diagnosed with COVID-19 in January 2021, and due to his cancer treatment having weakened his immune system, Bridges wound up spending months in the hospital.
RELATED: Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma: Overview: Overview
According to AARP, Bridges’ cancer went into remission quickly after he was put through chemotherapy infusion, which was followed by an oral chemo protocol.
He dubbed his wife his “absolute champion” as she stayed by Bridges’ side as he recovered from covid in the hospital. “She really fought to keep me off a ventilator. I didn’t want to be on it, and the doctors didn’t necessarily want that. But Sue was adamant,” he told the news outlet.
He was ultimately treated with a blood plasma called “convalescent plasma,” which consists of viral antibodies.
Despite his struggle, like so many cancer survivors, Bridges was left with a renewed appreciation for life after the experience.
“I’ll be honest. I didn’t know if I was going to make it,” he told Esquire in an earlier interview. “I was on death’s door there for a while in the hospital. When I finally went back to work, after a two-year hiatus, it was the most bizarre kind of thing. It felt like a dream.”
“I came back after all that time, and saw the same faces [while shooting ‘The Old Man’], the same cast and crew,” he added. “It was like we had a long weekend. I gathered everyone and I said, ‘I had the most bizarre dream, you guys.’ I was sick and out, but all that feels like a gray mush now.”
More On Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma
- Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma: It’s More Than Just One Type
- All About Biopsies to Diagnose Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma
- All About Follicular Lymphoma: A Common Type of Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma
- Bispecific Antibodies Deliver One-Two Punch to Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma
- CAR T-Cell Therapy for Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma
- Could Weed Killer or Radiation Exposure Increase Your Risk for Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma?
- Could New Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma Drugs Mean Less Chemo in the Future?
What is Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma?
The cancer Bridges was diagnosed with, non-Hodgkin lymphoma, begins in a type of white blood cell called the lymphocytes, which are part of the immune system. There are a few different subtypes of non-Hodgkin lymphoma. After someone is diagnosed, their doctor will need to determine if it is indolent (slow-growing) or aggressive, and if the lymphocytes being affected are B-cells or T-cells. Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma is the most common subtype of non-Hodgkin lymphoma.
Treatment depends on what subtype a person has.
Dr. Jennifer Crombie explains how treatment is determined by looking at what subtype of non-Hodgkin lymphoma a person has.
“For patients with indolent lymphomas, sometimes patients may not require therapy at the time of diagnosis, if they’re asymptomatic or have a low burden of disease, whereas patients with more aggressive lymphoma would require initiation of treatment,” Dr. Jennifer Crombie, a medical oncologist at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, told SurvivorNet in a previous conversation.
When a patient has an aggressive type of lymphoma, “We do treat patients with chemotherapy,” Dr Crombie said. “That’s the standard of care and our most common regimen that we use for patients is something called R-CHOP.”
The best treatment choice for someone with non-Hodgkin lymphoma depends largely on the type of lymphoma they have and the stage of the disease. One of the most effective regimens available for aggressive B-cell lymphoma is a drug combination called R-CHOP.
Dr. Adrienne Phillips explains how the chemotherapy combination R-CHOP works.
“R-CHOP has been a standard treatment regimen for aggressive non-Hodgkin lymphomas of the B-cell subtype for many years,” Dr. Adrienne Phillips, medical oncologist at Weill Cornell Medicine, told SurvivorNet.
“There are clinical trials looking to improve upon that standard by adding or removing medications to improve outcomes or minimize toxicity, but R-CHOP is still the standard of care for aggressive B-cell lymphomas.”
Here’s how the acronym breaks down:
- R: Rituximab (Rituxan) is a monoclonal antibody that attaches to a specific protein called CD20, which sits on the surface of B cells. It targets the
- cancerous cells and destroys them.
- C: Cyclophosphamide is a type of chemotherapy drug
- H: Doxorubicin hydrochloride (hydroxydaunomycin) is a type of chemotherapy drug
- O: Vincristine sulfate (Oncovin) is a type of chemotherapy drug
- P: Prednisone is a steroid, which lowers inflammation
In most cases, doctors deliver this regimen in cycles spaced three weeks apart to help minimize side effects and give patients time between treatment cycles. The number of cycles can range from 3 to 6, depending on the stage of the cancer.
If this treatment combination does not work, doctors may try a new approach, like a different kind of chemotherapy and a stem cell transplant.
Getting Back To Work After a Health Battle, Like Jeff Bridges
Jeff Bridge’s willingness to get back to filming after cancer is something many SurvivorNet experts recommend patients do if they can continue working. Bridge’s determination to battle disease and return to business as usual is definitely inspiring to his fans and men who might be dealing with similar health issues.
“We always encourage people to continue to work if they can,” says Sarah Stapleton, a clinical social worker at Montefiore Medical Center, previously told SurvivorNet.
“I think it creates a sense of normalcy for patients.”
If you’re able to work, you’ll be busy, and you may not be worrying all the time about how your treatment is going, Stapleton adds.
Sometimes, cancer can make you feel isolated and lonely, and being around people for work can alleviate feelings of loneliness.
It’s important for you to have a conversation with your doctor before continuing to work during treatment. Ask your physician what you can and cannot do so you don’t disrupt ongoing treatment.
Remember, sometimes cancer treatment can cause fatigue, leaving you unable to fulfill your duties as you once could.
Fortunately, some on-the-job accommodations can make working during cancer treatment much easier.
It’s important to remember people with job problems related to cancer are protected by the Rehabilitation Act or the Americans with Disabilities Act. The Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) may also benefit others. This law allows many people with serious illnesses to take unpaid leave to get medical care or manage their symptoms.
WATCH: Will my cancer get me fired?
Laurie Ostacher, a behavioral health clinician at Stanford Health Care, recommends cancer patients talk with their employer about accommodations they may need upon returning to work.
“Patients need to let their employer know [they’re] going to need some flexibility… Because there are going to be days when you’re not as energetic or feeling as well as other days,” Ostacher explained.
Your human resources department should be able to share with you your options.
In some situations, employers must accommodate a qualified applicant or employee with a disability unless the employer can show it would be an undue hardship to do so. This could mean making changes to work schedules, equipment, or policies.
Contributing: SurvivorNet Staff
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