Blink-182’s Mark Hoppus Sheds Light on Cancer Diagnosis
Blink-182 bassist Mark Hoppus has shared new details about his recent cancer diagnosis. Hoppus revealed he's undergoing treatment for diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, or DLBCL, a common type of non-Hodgkin lymphoma.
"My classification is diffuse large B-cell lymphoma stage IV-A, which means, as I understand it, it's entered four parts of my body," Hoppus said in a recent Q&A. "I don't know how exactly they determine the four-part of it, but it's entered enough parts of my body that I'm stage IV, which I think is the highest that it goes. So, I'm stage IV-A."
According to Dr. Michael Jain, a hematology specialist at Moffitt Cancer Center, the stage IV-A diagnosis refers to whether a person is experiencing a specific set of symptoms.
Dr. Michael Jain, hematology specialist
“Most lymphomas present as advanced stage, stage 3 or 4, because lymphocytes tend to travel throughout the body,” said Jain. “B symptoms include unexplained fevers, night sweats, and/or weight loss, and patients with the A type do not have these. I caution that among the B symptoms, night sweats have the weakest association with cancer.”
Hoppus first shared news that he was battling cancer in June, telling fans he had already undergone months of chemotherapy treatments with much more to go.
“Standard treatment of advanced stage DLBCL is R-CHOP, which is an antibody (Rituximab) in combination with chemotherapy (CHOP),” said Jain. “This is given six times, every three weeks. Approximately 50% to 80% of patients can be cured with R-CHOP, depending on their disease presentation and risk.
Hoppus did share some good news on his cancer journey on Monday, telling Twitter followers that recent scans indicate that his chemotherapy treatments are working.
"I still have months of treatment ahead, but it's the best possible news," said Hoppus. "I'm so grateful and confused and also sick from last week's chemo, but the poison the doctors pump into me and the kind thoughts and wishes of people around me are destroying this cancer. Just gonna keep fighting.”
— ϻ𝔞Ⓡ𝔨 𝐇𝑜Ƥ𝐩ย𝓼 (@markhoppus) July 19, 2021
Hoppus also shared more on the side effects of his chemotherapy treatments in a recent Twitch stream, including his experience with "chemo brain."
"I forget people's names, song titles, anything," said Hoppus. "People will be talking to me and then five minutes later I'll ask them a question, and they're like, 'I just told you that five minutes ago.'"
Non-Hodgkin lymphomas in total make up 4% of all cancers. The average age that it occurs is between age 65 and 70 although it can happen at any age. Hoppus, 49, revealed his mother previously beat DLBCL.
According to Jain, lymphomas can occur in more than one close family member, but in general they are not inherited diseases and the risk to someone who has a family member with lymphoma remains extremely low. People who have family members with lymphoma do not require genetic or other lymphoma screening.
"Oddly enough, we have the exact form of cancer," said Hoppus. "And she beat it. So I've been able to talk to her and bond with her quite a bit."
