Celebrities and Their Cancers

We all fear becoming ill, receiving a cancer diagnosis or dying. Like humanity throughout history, we dream of immortality. Yet certain realities await us, making no distinction between rich and poor, educated and uneducated when they happen. Just like the cancer that, in October 2003, Steve Jobshad to face. I want to devote substantial space to this subject because, from beginning to end, it mirrors situations many of us experience.

Steve Jobs, the first name that comes to mind with Apple and Iphone, was asked to have a CT scan of his ureters and kidneys after a urological examination. The scan showed no kidney problem, but there was a shadow over his pancreas. The urologist told him to have his pancreas examined immediately. Jobs did not do so. His doctor insisted, saying it was really important. Steve then went to the doctor early one morning, and the doctors reviewing the scan had to give him bad news: there was a tumor in his pancreas. One doctor even advised him to complete unfinished business in his life. That evening, they performed an endoscopy and used a needle to take a few cells from the pancreatic tumor. The doctors were pleased: Jobs’s cancer proved to be a pancreatic neuroendocrine tumor . Although this type of pancreatic cancer is rare, treatment is more feasible than for conventional pancreatic cancers. Jobs was actually very fortunate, both because of the tumor type and because it was discovered so early. The tumor could have been removed before it spread. One of the first people he called was Larry Brilliant, whom he had met at an ashram in India.

Jobs horrified his friends and wife by rejecting the only accepted medical approach: surgical removal of the tumor. “I really did not want them to cut my body open, so I tried a few other things,” he recalled with some regret.

He began a strict vegan diet and consumed plenty of fresh carrots and fruit juice. He added acupuncture, various healing herbs and occasional treatments he encountered online or heard about from people across the country. For a while, he was influenced by a doctor running a natural-treatment clinic in Southern California who emphasized organic herbs, juice fasts, frequent bowel cleansing, hydrotherapy and expressing every negative feeling. His friends repeatedly urged Jobs to undergo surgery and chemotherapy. Even Dean Ornish, the diet doctor who pioneered nutrition-based alternative treatments, took a long walk with Jobs and persistently tried to explain that modern medicine was sometimes the best option. “You really need surgery,” Ornish told him.

Jobs resisted for nine months after his diagnosis in October 2003. In July 2004, a CT scan showed him that the tumor had grown and probably spread. Jobs then had to face reality. On Saturday, 31 July 2004, he underwent surgery at Stanford University Medical Center. The standard treatment for this cancer, Whipple surgery, which involves removing a large part of the stomach and part of the intestine along with the pancreas, could not be performed in full. Although the doctors considered this procedure, they ultimately chose a less radical approach, a modified Whipple, removing only part of the pancreas. A side effect of surgery would become a problem for Jobs because of the diets and unusual cleansing and fasting routines he had obsessively followed since adolescence. Because the pancreas produces enzymes that allow the stomach to digest food and absorb nutrients, removing part of this organ makes obtaining enough protein difficult. Patients are advised to eat frequently, follow a nutritious diet and consume various meat and fish proteins as well as full-fat dairy products.

Unfortunately, the cancer had spread. During surgery, doctors found three metastases . Had they operated nine months earlier, they might have stopped the cancer before it spread. Starting chemotherapy further worsened Jobs’s nutritional difficulties.

By early 2008, Jobs and his doctors were certain the cancer had spread. When removing his pancreatic tumors in 2004, doctors had partially mapped his cancer genome, identifying defective pathways. They were giving Jobs treatments they thought would work best. His nutritional problems worsened from early 2008. In spring 2008, he suddenly lost eighteen kilograms. He suffered from a hormonal imbalance. Glucagon, a hormone produced by the pancreas, has the opposite function to insulin: it makes the liver increase blood sugar. Jobs’s tumor had spread to his liver and was causing major damage. He was becoming increasingly thin, so he received medicines to lower glucagon levels. He was very ill and in severe pain. He had restarted chemotherapy. His skin began drying and cracking. Seeking alternative treatments, he went to Basel, Switzerland, and received experimental hormone treatment and radiotherapy. He also underwent an experimental treatment developed in Rotterdam called peptide receptor radionuclide therapy .

- Steve Jobs and thousands of lives are being sacrificed to alternative cancer treatments!

The doctor leading Jobs’s oncology team had warned him for months that he might need a liver transplant. He finally agreed and joined transplant waiting lists. Days after he reached the top of the list, on 21 March 2009, a young man in his mid-twenties died in a weekend car accident and his organs were donated. The transplant succeeded, but the situation remained concerning. When doctors removed Jobs’s liver, they found spots on the peritoneum, the thin membrane surrounding the internal organs. Tumors were also present throughout the liver, meaning the cancer had most likely spread elsewhere. His tumor appeared to have mutated over time, changed character and begun growing faster. They took samples and again produced genetic maps.

Jobs very much wanted to attend his son Reed’s high school graduation in June 2010.

After Jobs was diagnosed with cancer, Reed began spending his summers working in an oncology laboratory at Stanford, using DNA sequencing to find genetic markers of colon cancer. In one experiment, he traced the hereditary transmission of mutations. “One of the few good things about my being ill was that Reed spent a lot of time working alongside some very good doctors,” Jobs said. “His interest was the same as the interest I had in computers at his age. I think the greatest inventions of the twenty-first century will be made where biology and technology intersect. A new era is beginning, just as the computer era began when I was his age.”

One Saturday, Reed appeared on a local television channel as one of four contestants on his school’s quiz team. The host asked the children what they wanted to be when they grew up. Reed answered Cancer researcher . At the end of this whole story, in October 2011, Steve Jobs, who had contributed major innovations and vision to our world, died.

Walt Disney

Walt Disney, who spent his life dreaming and opening the doors of fairy-tale worlds for children, died of laryngeal cancer on 15 December 1966.

Bob Marley

Skin cancer melanoma claimed the life of legendary singer Bob Marley, whose final words to his son Ziggy before dying were: “Money cannot buy life” .

Hugh Jackman

Diagnosed with skin cancer in 2013, Jackman had previously received treatment three times. Treatment is still continuing for Jackman, who has a type of skin cancer caused by unprotected exposure to harmful sunlight and very common in Australia.

Carl Sagan

In 1978, Carl Sagan received the Pulitzer Prize for his book “The Dragons of Eden.” The astronomer, author and one of the most important scientists of the 20th century died at age 62 on 20 December 1996 from bone marrow cancer.

Angelina Jolie

Although she did not have cancer, Angelina Jolie must be mentioned. She had both breasts removed in 2013 and her ovaries removed in early 2015 because genetic testing had identified a mutation in her BRCA1 gene, indicating an % 87 risk of breast cancer and an % 50 risk of ovarian cancer. Why had she undergone hereditary cancer genetic testing? Her mother had died of ovarian cancer at age 56, and Angelina Jolie had learned that some ovarian and breast cancers could be hereditary.

Angelina Jolie, who lost her mother, actress Marcheline Bertrand, to ovarian cancer at 56, underwent the first stage of breast surgery in early February 2013.

In an article published in The New York Times explaining her operation, Angelina Jolie shared with readers that her mother had received ovarian cancer treatment for 10 years. Jolie said, “My mother lived long enough to hold her grandchildren. But my children will never have the chance to know how loving and kind their grandmother was” .

- How should people with hereditary breast cancer be monitored and treated?

Patrick Swayze

An American dancer, songwriter and actor, remembered for his role as “Sam” in Ghost.

In January 2008, Swayze was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and began chemotherapy. In May 2008, he had surgery to remove a piece of his stomach, to which the cancer had spread.

During this period, he wrote his will and left all his possessions to his wife. His condition improved after surgery. In September 2008, he appeared on television for anticancer campaigns.

In January 2009, he announced that the cancer had spread slightly to his liver. In April 2009, it was found to have engulfed the liver. On 14 September 2009, twenty months after diagnosis, he died at age 57.

Ronald Reagan

The 40th President of the United States, Ronald Reagan, developed both skin cancer and colon cancer and underwent many operations. Reagan died of pneumonia in 2004.

United States Senator John McCain

McCain, the Republican presidential candidate who ran against Obama in 2008 and lost, was found to have a brain tumor during removal of a blood clot in his eye in recent months.

David McLean

Marlboro cigarettes’ Marlboro Man advertisement invited millions of people to “Marlboro Country” during the past century and caused the deaths of thousands who accepted the invitation. The Marlboro Man advertisement is still considered the most influential advertisement of all time.

The first Marlboro Man advertisement appeared in the media in 1955, quadrupling Marlboro cigarette sales within two years. By 1972, Marlboro was the world’s best-selling cigarette.

David McLean, one of the 3 actors featured in these advertisements, died of lung cancer .

Kylie Minogue

Famous singer Kylie Minogue also developed breast cancer . The singer developed the disease in 2005. After the tumor was removed, Kylie received preventive (adjuvant) chemotherapy to reduce recurrence risk. She now continues her life as a healthy woman attending regular checkups.

- You may be interested: How do we identify patients who will not receive chemotherapy after breast cancer surgery?

Anastacia

In January 2003, the famous singer and musician decided to have her breasts reduced. A preoperative mammogram revealed breast cancer. She promptly completed surgery and radiotherapy. Anastacia later established the “Anastacia Fund” for young women.

Levent Kırca

In 2015, liver cancer developed in Levent Kırca, who died from it. In an interview in September of the same year, he said:

“I am 65; if I die, I will have no regrets. Let the young live; let nothing happen to them. My match with life stands level. I dislike phrases like ‘Everyone should pray for me.’ If we are to live, we will live, brother… Live on, old man, live on… I have lived life to the fullest. When I close my eyes, my heart will be at peace. Those without that peace should worry. I am not afraid of death. I have three chemotherapy treatments left. I am being treated at a public hospital. Some go to America, but like Atatürk, I have entrusted myself to Turkish physicians. In 2000, I developed a type of blood cancer. I told nobody at the time and kept it secret. Eventually, I grabbed cancer by the leg and threw it to the ground. But this time it has proved a very tough opponent.”

Steve McQuenn

Steve McQueen began taking acting lessons at 22 with money earned from motorcycle racing. Realizing he would not achieve the fame he wanted on the stage, he decided to try his luck in Hollywood. He played major roles in minor series and minor roles in major films. McQueen’s innate rebellious manner worked wonders in the role of Bill Ringa, earning full marks from critics.

When he learned he had a rare cancer, cancer of the lung lining (mesothelioma) , he initially displayed the same indifference he had shown earlier. He wanted to continue his life as if nothing were wrong. The clothing he wore while driving racing cars was made from asbestos, a fire-resistant substance. Cancer of the lung lining occurred in people heavily exposed to this material. He did not want to accept that his greatest passion in life was leading him to death. He preferred to believe it had been caused by clothing he wore in the United States military. But assumptions contain very little about reality.

Pavarotti

Italian opera singer Luciano Pavarotti is described as the greatest tenor of his generation. His World Cup concert with Carreras and Domingo, conducted by Zubin Mehta, is considered one of the most important classical music concerts ever, while its recording became the best-selling classical album. He died of pancreatic cancer at age 71.

Harun Kolçak

Harun Kolçak, son of film actor Eşref Kolçak and an important voice in Turkish pop music, developed prostate cancer in 2014. “Death gives meaning to many things in life. If we were immortal, we would not value one another” was how he expressed his illness.

On Wednesday, 22 June 2016, Harun Kolçak’s cancer was found to have recurred. Subsequently, his overall condition deteriorated suddenly, and he was rushed to hospital, where he underwent another operation. The artist was treated in intensive care and later died.

Kayahan

Kayahan, a major figure in Turkish pop music, faced the same cancer 15 years apart, 2 times. When the famous musician developed soft tissue cancer (sarcoma) in 1990, he thought he had only 6 months to live. Treatment brought the disease under control at the time, but his cancer recurred in 2014. Kayahan died in 2014 at age 66.

Joe Biden’s son Beau Biden

Beau Biden, the eldest son of American Vice President Joe Biden, had a brain tumor called glioblastoma multiforme (GBM). Also serving as Delaware Attorney General, Beau Biden, aged 46, died from this disease on 30 May 2015.

- The Precision Medicine Initiative announced by Obama after the cancer-related death of United States Vice President Joe Biden’s son!

Nilüfer

Nilüfer is one of millions of women who developed breast cancer and continued to live healthily following treatment. In her own words, she described her feelings after ultrasound and mammography during diagnosis:

“When doctors began investigating it, I was a little startled and upset. I cried once that day; I thought of my daughter and how young she still was. You become very emotional at that moment. I was frightened when they said a needle biopsy was needed for a definite diagnosis. Later, I went on the appointment day and underwent the procedure under local anesthesia. I felt no pain and tried to stay calm. Interestingly, the pathology result still did not show anything definite. This time, they took more tissue from the area using a more extensive method whose name I cannot remember. It was a somewhat more difficult examination, but there was no pain. After this test—I will never forget, it was a holiday—I was told it was very early-stage cancer in a milk duct. Last year, on 25 October, I had surgery and my breast was removed. It is a date I will never forget. I was only very afraid of surgery. Losing my breast did not upset me. After all, I could not walk around with a live bomb there. Outside the milk duct, there were also small tumors at 3 points in the breast tissue. Because my cancer was a very aggressive type, chemotherapy was unavoidable despite the tumors’ very small size.”

“I stayed at home as much as possible. I did not like wearing a wig, but I did not want to go outside without one either. I accepted everything and did not panic”

“Please take ownership of your illness, research it, talk to your doctors about everything and try to learn all the details, and do not turn it into a drama. Do not worry: the negative effects of chemotherapy disappear quickly once treatment ends. Do not be upset at all about your hair falling out; believe me, it grows back thicker than before” says Nilüfer.

- Breast cancer symptoms and treatment – THE DIAGNOSTIC JOURNEY through questions

Defne Samyeli

Cervical cancer was discovered at its beginning in Defne Samyeli through cancer screening. She describes herself in these words: “As I lived through it, I learned that all my fears were unfounded. Ultimately, the pathology report showed that we had intervened at a very early point. I gave talks on this subject, and in Türkiye there was a boom in smear testing . Many women were checked. They were not wrong to say, ‘There is good beneath things that seem evil.’”

- What is HPV, the cause of %95 of cervical cancers, and how does it cause cancer?

Yıldız Tilbe

Uterine cancer affected another of our celebrities, who describes it as follows: “I told nobody outside my family. Thank goodness I had already had a child. Otherwise, this situation might have worn me down. During my illness, I experienced a great love; I was deeply in love. I thought only of him. He was constantly on my mind. When a person has a worry, it can emerge as a problem in their body. After becoming ill, I forgot him completely. Now I have learned that not everything is worth dwelling on so much and that I should not upset myself over unnecessary things. 

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I should mention that things we wish did not exist in life are actually always for our benefit and part of life’s necessities. For example, forgetting is another act we dislike. Yet forgetting is one of the greatest blessings we have been given. Imagine if we remembered all the happiness and sadness we had experienced until today: our hearts might not withstand such pumping even until age 40.

Likewise, we try to treat the words death and dying as something distant, frightening and unfamiliar, although we know this great blessing must come one day. Yes, we want to escape it. We never want cancer. Painful as it is, I do not know whether you realize that cancer may be the only form of death that offers an opportunity to say goodbye to those we value and share things with loved ones with a better appreciation of everything...

Remembering that I will soon die has been my greatest help so far in making important choices in life. Because almost everything—all external expectations, pride, fear of embarrassment or failure—becomes insignificant in the face of death, leaving only what truly matters. Remembering that you will die is the best way to avoid the illusion that you have something to lose. You are already naked. There is no reason not to follow your heart. Steve Jobs

I would like to illustrate and conclude our article with another excerpt from Steve Jobs’s 2005 Stanford University commencement speech:

“My third story is about death. When I was seventeen, I read something like this: ‘If you live each day as if it were your last, someday you will be right.’ This sentence deeply affected me. Since then, for 33 years, I have looked in the mirror every morning and asked myself, ‘If today were the last day of my life, would I want to do the things I would normally do today?’ When the answer was ‘No’ for many days in a row, I understood that I needed to change something. Knowing that one will die soon is very important in making decisions that shape one’s life. Because everything—all external expectations, pride, fears of humiliation or failure—loses its value in the face of death. Only death matters.

As someone who has experienced this, I can say that death is useful but merely an intellectual concept. Nobody wants to die. Even people who want to go to heaven do not want to risk death to get there. Yet death is our common destination. Nobody has escaped it so far, and that is as it should be. Death is one of life’s greatest inventions: life’s agent of change, the only way to remove the old to make room for the new. Right now, you are the new. But one day, and quite soon, you too will become old and be cleared away.

I am sorry to be so ruthless, but this is the truth. Your time is limited, so do not waste it living someone else’s life. Do not become trapped in the dogma of living with the results of other people’s thinking. Do not let the noise of other people’s opinions prevent you from hearing your own heart. Most importantly, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. Your heart and intuition know what you want to do. Everything else is secondary.