Soap Star Linsey Godfrey, 32, Details Hodgkin Lymphoma Battle at 18 & Encourages Others: ‘We Celebrate the Warriors Who Continue Their Fight!’

According to the soap opera star, she was diagnosed with stage 3 Hodgkin Lymphoma, and on the day of her 18th birthday she shaved her head to prepare for treatment. She underwent 12 rounds of chemotherapy over 6 months, and was declared “cancer-free” in January 2007. Throughout her cancer journey, she says she stayed positive by spending time at the beach and the great outdoors, and now she’s sending support to fellow survivors.

Related: 'Embrace The Pain' The Who's Roger Daltrey & Hodgkin Lymphoma Survivor Harry Hudson Talk Raising Money For Teens With Cancer

“I feel so lucky to know so many women survivors, who fought beautifully and are here to enjoy each day as it is, a gift,” Godfrey writes. “Today we celebrate the warriors who continue their fight!!”

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Godfrey didn’t let her battle with blood cancer keep her from reaching for Hollywood. In 2005, in the middle of her treatment, she landed a role on hit show One Tree Hill. From there, she’s appeared in other programs including NCIS, Cold Case, and eventually received stardom as a soap opera star in 2012 by her starring role as Caroline Spencer in The Bold and the Beautiful and The Young and the Restless. Apart from her success on the red carpet, Godfrey has also reached personal milestones and built a family. In June 2014, she welcomed her daughter, Aleda Seran, with her then-boyfriend and Young and the Restless co-star, Robert Adamson.

What Is Hodgkin Lymphoma?

Hodgkin Lymphoma is a type of blood cancer which falls into the lymphoma family, which is a cancer that begins in a type of white blood cells called lymphocytes. There are two main categories of lymphoma: Hodgkin Lymphoma (Godfrey’s diagnosis) and Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma.

Related: 7 Sneaky Symptoms of Hodgkin Lymphoma: Doctor Told One Teen Her Itchy Rash Later Diagnosed at Stage 4 Was 'Nothing to Worry About'

Hodgkin Lymphoma usually begins in a part of the lymph system called B cells, which make proteins called antibodies that help protect the body from germs, and is most commonly found in adults between the ages of 20 to 40 and those older the age of 55. Symptoms typically include unexplained weight loss, night sweats, swelling of lymph nodes, severe itching, and persistent fatigue.

Dr. Sairah Ahmed explains how age plays a factor in treating Hogdkin’s Lymphoma

Treatment for Hodgkin Lymphoma for young adults is generally successful, but it can be more difficult for older patients due to a list of risk factors that can develop as we get older.

Related: Bursting With Joy Lauren Chiarello's Double Miracle Twins After Hodgkin Lymphoma

“Things we encounter when we’re treating older adults is even with the same treatment, their outcomes are not as good in Hodgkin Lymphoma as younger adults,” Dr. Sairah Ahmed, a medical oncologist at MD Anderson Cancer Center, tells SurvivorNet. “In fact, age is an indicator of having a higher national prognostic score and in fact, worse outcomes. The other factor is that as we age, we have more comorbidities; you can have organ dysfunction including renal dysfunction, your kidneys don’t work as well, cardiac dysfunction, and all of these things can then make giving chemotherapy difficult as well as when chemotherapy is given you can have more side effects.”

Dr. Sairah Ahmed explains tailoring treatment for Hodgkin Lymphoma for older patients

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