Vivian Campbell's Cancer Battle: A Journey to Remission
Vivian Campbell, guitarist of the band Def Leppard, was diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma in 2013 and has been battling the disease for over a decade. After undergoing various treatments, including immunotherapy, Campbell finally achieved remission after a successful bone marrow transplant in 2022. In an interview with SiriusXM's Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk, Campbell shared his experience, highlighting the ups and downs of his cancer journey and the importance of receiving an early diagnosis.
Key Takeaways:
- Campbell was diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma in 2013 and underwent various treatments, including immunotherapy, but the cancer kept recurring.
- He underwent an autologous stem cell transplant in 2010, which didn't work, and the cancer continued to come back.
- In 2022, Campbell received a donor transplant, which turned out to be successful, and he achieved remission after a PET scan in April 2023 showed no signs of cancer.
- Campbell hopes to thank his 21-year-old donor by buying him a beer, acknowledging the importance of receiving an organ donation from a young person.
- He was part of a clinical trial for the medication pembrolizumab and has been dealing with lymphoma for over a decade, likening it to the "Whac-a-Mole" game.
Statistics:
- Campbell was diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma in 2013 and has been battling the disease for over 10 years.
- He underwent immunotherapy treatment for 10 years, using the medication pembrolizumab from June 2015.
- Campbell's cancer kept recurring after the autologous stem cell transplant in 2010.
- He received a donor transplant in December 2022, which turned out to be successful.
- Campbell is currently 100% clean, completely in remission, after his PET scan in April 2023 showed no signs of cancer.
Sources:
- SiriusXM's Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk
- Lymphoma Voices podcast (2023)