Beth Chapman Cancer Update: Wife Of ‘Dog The Bounty Hunter’ Likely Has Strong Chance At Recovery
Beth Chapman may have a rough road ahead as she battles throat cancer, but statistics show that the wife of Dog the Bounty Hunter has a strong chance to recover from the ailment.
The reality television star revealed to fans earlier this month that she had been diagnosed with the disease following a normal doctor checkup for a nagging cough. She immediately started treatment for what she described as a T2 tumor, which included a 13-hour surgery to have the tumor removed.
Chapman told fans that she will likely have a lifetime of testing and challenges, but statistics show that she has a strong chance at beating the early stage cancer. As the American Cancer Society noted, the five-year survival rate for throat cancer ranges from 39 percent to 74 percent depending on the exact type of cancer. Beth Chapman did not specify what kind of cancer diagnosis she received, but the most common form of throat cancer is normally treatable when caught in the earliest stages, Healthline noted.
“If diagnosed early, throat cancer has a high cure rate,” the report noted. “Throat cancer may not be curable once malignant cells spread to parts of the body beyond the neck and head. However, those diagnosed can continue treatment to prolong their life and slow the progression of the disease.”
Beth Chapman’s throat cancer tumor was also among the smaller sizes. The Cancer Treatment Centers of America noted that tumor sizes are scored by numbers between 1 and 4, so a T1 is the smallest and a T2, the kind that Champan had, is the second-smallest.
‘Dog The Bounty Hunter’: Beth Chapman Undergoes Surgery For Throat Cancer, Doctors Remove ‘Plum-Size’ Tumor https://t.co/8aGQFor3Or #PRAYERS
— Bobby Brown (@bobbybrown719) September 19, 2017
While Beth Chapman likely has a strong chance at beating her throat cancer, other celebrities were not so lucky. A number have died from this form of the disease, including Happy Days star Erin Moran, who passed away earlier this year.
As Health reported, Moran spent her final days eating through a feeding tube as she battled stage 4 throat cancer.
Dr. Abie Mendelsohn, assistant professor-in-residence at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, told Health that the profile for throat cancer patients has changed in recent decades.
“We used to think that only really old men who smoked a lot of cigarettes would get throat cancer,” he said. “And, historically, that was true—but it’s rapidly changing.”
Mendelsohn added that many patients are now in their 50s or even younger, which would fit Chapman’s profile.
Beth Chapman will likely give Dog the Bounty Hunter fans more updates on her cancer treatment, but said she expects a long road ahead of her.
[Featured Image by Rick Diamond/Getty Images]
