A 25 year old friend of mine just got diagnosed with Hodgkin's Lymphoma. What started off as a lump in his chest almost overnight, became this giant mass. He lost 20 pounds that he could not afford to lose. He had to have four biopsies, because they couldn't seem to figure out what the thing was. But the good news is that by all accounts, if you are going to have some kind of cancer, this is the one you want. Two age groups typically get diagnosed with this - 15-30, and 55+. The five year survival rate for the younger group has doubled in the past 20 years, and I think something like 85% of this group beat Hodgkin's. Typical treatment is chemo, and some of the chemo treatments you can do from home. The key is catching it early enough so it doesn't get in your bones. My friend is young and strong, and there's no doubt in my mind that he's going to beat this thing. But anytime you here the c word, it's a scary, scary thing. His words to me: If you feel any kind of a bump on your body, get to a doctor. Don't wait like I did. Sounds like pretty good advice to me - so I'll pass it on.
