Eminent Hollywood actor Jeff Bridges has been diagnosed with Lymphoma, a type of cancer. Bridges, famous for his role ‘The Dude’ in The Big Lebowski(1998), said in his tweet, As the Dude would say.. New S**T has come to light. I have been diagnosed with Lymphoma. Although it is a serious disease, I feel fortunate that I have a great team of doctors and the prognosis is good. I am starting treatment and will keep you posted on my recovery.
The 70-year-old actor, producer, and singer was born into a prominent acting family with his father Lloyd Bridges, mother Dorothy Bridges, and brother Beau Bridges also in the cine field. He first came on the screen while he was about two years old with his mother in the film The Company She Keeps(1951). Both the brothers also occasionally appeared from a young age in the popular underwater TV series Sea Hunt(1958) starring their father.
Career
Jeff Bridges has a well-acclaimed career, including winning the Academy Award for Best Actor for his performance as an alcoholic singer in Crazy Heart(2009). Incidentally, he is one of the youngest ever to be nominated for an Academy Award at the age of 22 and the oldest ever to win the Best Actor award, which he did at 60. He also won several other accolades, including Golden Globes, Seven Academy Award nominations, and Screen Actors Guild Awards. He has been happily married to Susan Geston since 1977 and has three daughters.
Our whole family at ZenOnco.io express our sincere wishes for Mr Bridges’ quick recovery. He has stated that his prognosis is good, which is always positive news.
What does a good prognosis mean?
Prognosis is a medical term. It predicts outcome of the disease and the chances of recovery. Therefore, a good prognosis means that the cancer has been found at a primary stage with better chances of recovery. For a good prognosis, it is imperative that the cancer, or any other chronic disease for that matter, is diagnosed as early as possible. This is possible only when we are well aware of the symptoms, which will enable us to identify the disease at the earliest.
What is Lymphoma?
As Mr Bridges said in his tweet, Lymphoma is a serious disease that affects the lymphatic system, the body’s germ-fighting network. In this cancer, a type of white blood cell called lymphocytes grows out of control. The lymphatic system includes lymph nodes, spleen, thymus gland, and bone marrow. Since the lymphatic system runs throughout the body, the cancer can quickly spread to distant parts of the body, weakening the immune system. There are over 60 different types of lymphomas, broadly categorized into two groups; Hodgkin’s Lymphoma and Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma.
Lymphoma Symptoms
The common Lymphoma symptoms are:
- Swelling of the lymph nodes
- Night sweats
- Persistent fever without any infection
- Unexplained weight loss and loss of appetite
- Constant fatigue or difficulty in breathing
- Unusual itching
Lymphoma Causes
Doctors are yet to come to a conclusion regarding the causes of Lymphoma with extensive research being done to determine the exact cause. Meanwhile, there are several risk factors associated, which increase the risk of being affected by Lymphoma.
Lymphoma Risk Factors
The factors that increase the risk of Lymphoma are:
- Age: The risk increases with age.
- Sex: Lymphoma is more common in males than in women.
- Infections: Certain virus infections like Epstein-Barr virus and Helicobacter pylori infection increase the risk of lymphoma.
- Immunodeficiency: People with a weak immune system are more likely to develop lymphoma.
- Family history: You are at higher risk of Lymphoma if close family members like siblings are diagnosed with it.
Lymphoma Treatment
The treatment plan depends upon the type of Lymphoma diagnosed, its stage, and the area it has affected. Doctors also consider the patient’s general health and vitals before starting the treatment plan.
The typical Lymphoma treatment procedures are:
- Chemotherapy:Â Drugs are administered into the body to destroy the cancer cells. Usually administered through intra-veinous injections, but can also be taken through oral pills.
- Radiation Therapy:Â The use of high-powered energy beams to destroy the cancer cells.
- Surgery: A Surgery may be done to remove the spleen or other similarly affected organ/gland.
- Bone Marrow Transplantation:Â The process in which healthy stem cells from a donor are injected into your body to replace the cancerous bone marrow.
- Antibody therapy:Â Synthetic antibodies are inserted into the bloodstream, which will respond to the toxic cancer cells.
- Immunotherapy: The use of your own immune system to attack the cancer by introducing living microorganisms into the body.
- Other treatments: There are several other treatment procedures that are upcoming as a result of advanced medical research in the field, including methods such as chimeric antigen receptor T-cell therapy and other clinical trials.
Hollywood actor Jeff Bridges underwent treatment for lymphoma, in 2020. He received chemotherapy and a stem cell transplant, a procedure that involved replacing his own stem cells after chemotherapy destroyed them. Throughout his health journey, Bridges kept his fans updated on his progress through social media and expressed gratitude for the support he received. In 2021, he announced that he had completed his treatment and urged people to get vaccinated against COVID-19. Bridges’ experience highlights the importance of cancer treatment and the role of support in the healing process.
As an organization, we are dedicated to the lives of all cancer warriors, winners, survivors, and caregivers. While Jeff Bridges’ diagnosis saddens us deeply, we are confident that he will recover quickly and be back to what he does best in no time.
