Updated March 15th, 2022

Rush Limbaugh, Battling Lung Cancer, Was Hospitalized for an Infection But Is Now Back on the Air

Details

Infection During Lung Cancer

Rush Limbaugh revealed he had suffered an infection which caused him to be hospitalized for a week
Limbaugh was diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer in February, and is in his third phase of treatment
Experts tell SurvivorNet that even in advanced lung cancer, there are still a number of treatment options to patients

Conservative talk show host Rush Limbaugh was hospitalized for an infection which led him to take a break from his radio program, but now he’s back on the air and keeping fans up to date on his battle with advanced lung cancer.

Limbaugh, 69, has been battling stage 4 lung cancer since February, but until now hasn’t let the diagnosis stop him from working. He was forced to take a break from "The Rush Limbaugh Show" and once returning, revealed that he was hospitalized due to an infection.

"A white blood cell count that is less than normal is not a good circumstance, and it's where I found myself last weekend, and I've had to devote every waking moment to dealing with it," Limbaugh said.

While undergoing treatment for lung cancer, Limbaugh’s immune system is compromised meaning health issues complications are more serious. For treatment, he’s explored a number of options, and has discussed his journey with fans such as a bad reaction to clinical trial drugs that he had to stop them immediately. He is currently in his third phase of treatment.

Dr. Geoffrey Oxnard explains the basics of stage 4 lung cancer

Treatment for Stage 4 Lung Cancer

Stage 4 lung cancer, also referred to as advanced lung cancer, is when the disease is no longer confirmed to the lungs and has spread to other parts of the body. While the diagnosis may be scary, there are still a number of treatment options available thanks to drug approvals and developing research.

Surgery, chemotherapy, radiation, and targeted drug therapies have shown enormous promise in treating advanced lung cancer. However, immunotherapy is a recent revolution that has changed the game all together. This treatment method uses the power of your immune system to fight the cancer, and doctors will be able to see if it’s effective early into starting the treatment.

"[Immunotherapy] works for anywhere from 25% to 35% of our patients," says Dr. Ken Miller, Director of Outpatient Oncology at the University of Maryland, Greenebaum Cancer Center. "We do know within several months of treatment whether it's going to work or not. When it does work, it may work really, really well. We see the white blood cells essentially going to the sites of tumor and killing cancer cells. So immunotherapy certainly has a role if we find that you have advanced lung cancer."

Dr. Ken Miller explains how immunotherapy works for late stage lung cancer

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