MEMPHIS, Tenn. — St. Jude Children's Research Hospital honored Rep. Dwight Tosh at the hospital Friday as he reached the milestone of becoming the hospital's first patient to celebrate 60 years as a survivor of pediatric cancer.
Tosh was presented with a commemorative pin.
Tosh has shared a long history with St. Jude. The hospital said he was the 17th patient treated at the hospital when it opened in 1962.
Tosh was diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma, which then, was likely fatal.
St. Jude reported that over the years, their work has helped childhood cancer survival rates have grown tremendously, with a current cure rate of 90% to 95% for children diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma.
St. Jude said that "treatments developed at St. Jude have helped push the overall childhood cancer survival rate from 20% to 80% since the hospital opened more than 60 years ago."