Popular radio DJ Mark Pilgrim resurfaced with an update on his battle against stage 4 lung cancer, after going dark on social media for more than a week.
Mark Pilgrim latest stage 4 lung cancer update
The former 5FM radio jock had his supporters worried when no new updates surfaced after his viral tweet from Tuesday, 24 January 2023.
However, much to the relief of his followers, Pilgrim returned to give fans a peek into his journey to survival, albeit the radiocaster appeared in worse form than his picture from last week.
In a tweet, Pilgrim revealed that, for the most part, he’s spent the past eight days sleeping. The broadcaster also admitted his body was depleted and “after chemo and [immunotherapy] last Thursday it’s just been pouring out both ends.”
“I’m like a shrivelled pea,” he tweeted.
Is stage 4 lung cancer curable?
Pilgrim was diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer in February 2022, and since then, he has been in and out of the hospital.
Pilgrim has garnered support on social media for the bravery he’s shown and for being optimistic about his plight.
A question that lingers on in the minds of many of his fans is:
Is stage 4 lung cancer curable?
According to a Medical News Today article reviewed by Dr Adithya Cattamanchi, an ABMS board-certified pulmonologist who also specialises in critical care medicine, lung cancer is classified as a terminal illness.
Only 16% of people diagnosed with this cancer type live longer than five years. However, several factors influence a person’s life expectancy estimate.
These, according to Medical News Today‘s Helen Millar, include:
- the type of lung cancer;
- the number of tumours in a lung;
- pre-existing lung problems;
- the extent of the cancer’s spread;
- pre-existing health issues before cancer diagnosis; and, among others,
- one’s mobility during treatment.
Hope still exists for Pilgrim as supporters continue to pray and send well wishes to the radio broadcaster. Here are some of the tributes we’ve seen since his health update:
