survived 23 years got cancer again.

janaes
janaes Member Posts: 799 Member
in Lymphoma (Hodgkin and Non-Hodgkin) #1

Hi twenty three years ago i was diagnosed with hodkins lymphoma stage 4.  I was in a car accidentent and when the techs xrayed my chest area my cancer was found.  What a miracle.  Any ways for twenty three years I got on with my life.  I did have trouble getting pregnant which my oncologist said I might.  I ended up adopting my two children who are now 10 and 13.  Four months ago i was diagnosed with uterine cancer.  Two doctors have told me it was caused by the radiation given to me when i was treated  for hodgkins.  I guess I am here today to find out if there are others in my situation.  Im coping pretty good now but when I first found out that I would need chemo therapy again I freeked out.  I was sure I was in the clear for a long time. Its been way harder emotionally the 2nd time. 

Comments

  • lindary
    lindary Member Posts: 711 Member
    #2
    second cancer

    I know several people who have fought other types of cancer, usually organ related. Their treatments were very diffferent than what I had to NHL. I think you will find that the treatament they give you for the uterine cancer is very different from your experience with fighting HL. I know there are a few people that have had a second cancer that is not a blood cancer and they can give you their experience.  Also check in on the uterine cancer board to learn more about that cancer and treatments. 

  • Max Former Hodgkins Stage 3
    Max Former Hodgkins Stage 3 Member Posts: 3,812 Member
    #3
    2nd

    Janaes,

    Your doctors might be correct: radiation might have led to your uterine cancer, but  that seems very speculative. Twenty-three years is a long time for radiation to lead to malignancy. From my training in the Navy with radiation health, when radiation does cause cancers, it is most commonly either of the thyroid or some form of leukemia.  Regardless, I know it is tough for you.  It might interest you to know that radiation is hardly ever used against lymphomas now, except for cases that are very early, or in cases of 'debulking' large tumors.

    I got over Stage III HL six years ago, but was diagnosed two years ago with stage II prostate. I had it cut out and am fine now, but the prostate experience taught me that organ cancers have few similarities to blood-born cancers. It was curious learning that surgery and radiation are their main lines of defense, and in fact chemo is never regarded as curative for prostate cancer; it is given for palliative intent only. A dear friend was dying of breast cancer at the same time (she since passed), and from reviewing her experience I learned that chemo against breast can be curative against non-metastatic disease, but is almost always only palliative against metastatic.  So everything is a whole new world of experience.

    I don't know why, but getting the word from the urologist about the prostate was boring to me. I was tired when she walked in, and yawned in her face as she announced it. Not intentional, of course. But I had already learned that PCa cancer is almost always very beatable, at least early-stage disease.  One other thing I learned is that prostate cancer is wholly unrelated to lymphoma, and I suspect the same is true with uterine.

    I hope you are staged early, and that whatever the specifics of the disease, may it be easily cured.

    max

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