Cancer is one of the scariest words in the English language. With more than a half a million Americans dying from cancer every year, it's the second leading cause of death, second to heart disease. In general, out of everyone who is diagnosed with cancer, there is a 58% 5-year survival rate. Anyone can get cancer. It doesn't matter if you live below poverty level or if you're a Hollywood celebrity. No one is exempt. In fact, several celebrities have been diagnosed with cancer. Here are 4 of them who have survived the battle.
Kathy Bates
Kathy Bates plays a strong, fearless woman in just about every role she's in. But every fearless woman still gets frightened. For Kathy, it was her diagnosis of ovarian cancer that scared her speechless. She managed to keep her cancer from the press, and no one knew a thing. In fact, it was a complete secret until she was cancer-free.
Bates says that if she had to do it all over again, she wouldn't be so silent about the process. After going in remission, she began attending events for cancer survivors. The events helped her bond with other women who had gone through the battle themselves. It allowed her to appreciate herself as a cancer survivor and reach out to others.
Ryan Buell
At the young age of 19, Ryan Buell had his own TV show on A&E called Paranormal State. After forming the Paranormal Research Society at Penn State University, he became an avid ghost hunter, which landed him on the network. Once he graduated college, he went on to doing tours around the United States and Canada to meet fans and teach them about communicating with spirits.
In 2012, his Canadian tour was cancelled, leaving fans more than angry. He was the face of scrutiny for not addressing the fans personally. What people didn't realize was, he had just been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. Pancreatic cancer only has a 20% 1-year survival rate, and a 6% 5-year survival rate. It damages other vital organs quickly, and makes the body unable to fight.
Luckily for Buell, he was diagnosed at stage 1, making treatment much easier. He was able to do preventative care, strengthening his vital organs so his body could function during treatments. Two years later, Ryan Buell is in the 20%. He is currently cancer free and working on getting the rest of his body healthy.
Michael C. Hall
The star known for his hit roles in Six Feet Under and Dexter was diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma at the end of 2009. Cancer was no stranger to Michael C. Hall when he received his diagnosis. His father lost his battle to prostate cancer. Hall says that he is lucky the doctors found the cancer at such an early stage. Hodgkin's lymphoma is highly treatable and curable, which gave him a light at the end of a dark tunnel. He received his treatment while simultaneously starring in Dexter. By the end of 2010, Hall's doctors deemed him officially in remission.
Christina Applegate
Actress Christina Applegate was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2008 when she was only 38 years old. It's recommended that women begin yearly mammograms at age 40. However, Applegate states that she started to at age 30 because she feels early detection is important. When the doctor told her that her breast tissue was too dense to get a proper reading with a mammogram, he opted to give her an MRI. The MRI showed that she had breast cancer. It was cancer that likely wouldn't have been seen in a mammogram for several years.
Applegate had a double mastectomy after her diagnosis. Six years later, she's considered cured. Her battle taught her the importance of receiving MRIs to detect cancer. She now works with an organization that provides MRIs in place of mammograms for high-risk women.
Cancer is a very scary diagnosis, but it is treatable. Early detection is extremely important. The earlier you catch it, the easier it is to get rid of. These are four of the dozens of celebrities who have survived cancer.
