174: John Walker Pattison survived hodgkin lymphoma and bladder cancer | vincristine | prednisolone | mitomycin | cystoscopy

About this episode

John Walker Pattison shares his journey of surviving Hodgkin lymphoma and bladder cancer, detailing his treatment experiences and challenges.

John Walker Pattison is still with us despite two protracted battles with cancer. He was diagnosed with Stage IV Hodgkin lymphoma in 1975 and relapsed three times. Then in 2018, he was diagnosed with bladder cancer, a diagnosis after which he relapsed once. After his lymphoma diagnosis, treatment included an aggressive chemotherapy regimen, which included nitrogen mustard, vincristine, procarbazine and prednisolone. John said effects from the chemo hampered his fight with bladder cancer and still affect him today, although his urinary function is just fine. John was in his late teens when he began to experience fatigue, night sweats, recurring cough and weight loss, among other symptoms. He was doing heavy lifting in the shipbuilding business, had difficulty at work and one day on the job he collapsed. Realizing he needed medical attention, he underwent scans and biopsies, and they led to a diagnosis of Stage IV Hodgkin lymphoma. He was told his chances of recovery were slim. In May 1975, his care team prescribed a chemotherapy cocktail of nitrogen mustard, prednisolone, procarbazine and vincristine, which only added to a high degree of fear he had for his future. Things went…

People in this episode

Host: Jim Foster

Guest: John Walker Pattison

Topics covered

• cancer survival
• Hodgkin lymphoma
• bladder cancer
• chemotherapy
• patient experience

Keywords

• Hodgkin lymphoma
• bladder cancer
• chemotherapy
• vincristine
• prednisolone
• survivor story
• patient journey

Mentioned in this episode

Products: vincristine, prednisolone, mitomycin

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