Govind Sandhu, Tik Tok Australia’s regional head recently revealed he has been diagnosed with stage-4 cancer. Sharing a video on social media, the 38-year-old executive said he is battling non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma – a type of blood cancer that affects white blood cells called lymphocytes. Also known as cancer of the lymphatic system, it is the sixth most common type of cancer in adults.
“This wasn’t exactly part of my five-year plan,” Govind can be heard saying in a video posted on Instagram. Describing his life, Sandhu further said he thought he was in the best shape of his life.
What were Sandhu’s early signs and symptoms? Related News |
In the video, Sandhu described how after returning to Sydney after training for weeks in Bali for a marathon he experienced a few symptoms which made him visit his doctor. “I just got really bad flu-like symptoms,” he said. In the same video, he also said that he was “speechless” when he learned that he had cancer.
“I thought I was in the best shape of my life, the healthiest I have ever been. A cross fitter who runs marathons, ultra-marathons, lives and breathes training, optimizes sleep recovery, supplements and nutrition,” he added.
What is non-Hodgkins lymphoma? Related News |
Non-Hodgkin lymphoma is a group of blood cancers that develop in your lymphatic system and are acquired genetic disorders. Doctors say you may not be born with these disorders, but they happen when genes inside certain cells mutate or change. In this case, the affected cells are B lymphocytes, or T lymphocytes that are part of your immune system.
There are more than 70 types of non-Hodgkin lymphoma. According to experts, people live longer with these conditions due to new and advanced treatments, including targeted therapies. Usually, non-Hodgkin lymphomas affect people aged 60 years and older. They are somewhat more common in men and affect more white people than those who are Black.
Signs of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma
Doctors say non-Hodgkin lymphomas cause many symptoms and so, it is important to remember that many of these are common and related to other conditions as well. Simply showing these signs does not mean you have non-Hodgkin lymphoma. A few common signs of the condition, include:
- Swollen lymph nodes
- Abdominal swelling and pain
- Chest pain
- Cough and cold
- Breathlessness
- Persistent fatigue
- Unexplained fever
- Heavy night sweats
- Unexplained weight loss
- Feeling of fullness
What causes non-Hodgkin lymphomas?
Doctors say non-Hodgkin lymphomas happen when your body produces too many leukocytes or white blood cells. Even though it is not known why it happens, genetic mutations that affect white blood cell growth do play a part.