Cancer is a dreaded term which can drain the affected person both mentally and physically. But, a lot depends upon what kind of character the person shows, if a person diagnosed with cancer maintains a positive attitude, then that positivity is definitely going to make them win the struggle against this deadly disease. In today’s day and age, cancer is spreading like an epidemic because of the irregular lifestyle patterns we leading and celebrities are also not out of this list. Many public figures have been diagnosed by different forms of cancer, some got a new lease of life and some lost their battle to cancer.
Celebrities who survived cancer
Just like Cancer has hit common people, the same way, it has affected the health of many big stars in Hollywood. The Indian celebrities who had been diagnosed with cancer in the past usually chose to head to the United States of America (USA) to start off their treatment.
Along with chemotherapy, surgery and healthy eating habits, all these cancer survivors are said to have gained positivity through yoga sessions and motivational speeches conducted by the cancer centers they got treated at.
Below are some of the famous cancer survivors who put a great fight against this fatal disease and embraced life like never before:
- Yuvraj Singh: The Indian cricketer was diagnosed with a non – malignant tumor above his heart’s artery. His cancer was in an early stage and was treated using chemotherapy at the Cancer Research Institute, Boston, USA.
- Lisa Ray: In 2009, the actress suffered from a very rare type of cancer called multiple myeloma (a cancer caused in the white blood cells). Lisa was declared cancer free after a stem cell transplant. Born and brought up in Canada, she sought treatment in the US itself.
- Robert De Niro: The American actor and filmmaker was diagnosed with prostate cancer in the year 2003. His cancer was detected in the early stage after which De Niro underwent surgery in December 2013 at the Memorial Sloan – Kettering Cancer Center.
- Lance Armstrong: Testicular cancer survivor, Armstrong bounced back to his road racing cycling career in 1998 after being tested positive for cancer in 1996. The cyclist was treated for cancer at the Indiana University Health University Hospital, Indiana, USA.
- HughJackman: The Australian actor – singer suffered from basal cell carcinoma (skin cancer) and he first got treated in the year 2013. After that, the cancerous growth has been recurring and Jackman has got six cancer removal surgeries done till 2017 and the actor is well now.
- Jane Fonda: The American actress who has many feathers in her cap, was diagnosed with breast cancer for which she was underwent lumpectomy in 2010 and was healing all these years but in early 2018 she was spotted with bandages on her face. For that, she revealed that she got a cancerous growth removed from her lip.
- Giuliana Rancic: The Italian – American TV actress was diagnosed with breast cancer in the year 2011. She got double mastectomy and reconstructive surgery done in the same year. Later on, this cancer survivor founded a charity called ‘Fab – U – Wish’ to support other women battling breast cancer.
- Stephen Fry: The English actor – comedian released a video in February 2018 announcing his diagnosis and treatment of prostate cancer. 11 adjacent lymph nodes and the infected cancerous organ were removed from Fry’s body to cure the aggressive form of cancer that he had. The actor is of the opinion that an early detection of the disease made him a cancer survivor.
Likewise, there are many celebrities in Hollywood and Bollywood who are known to have detected this deadly yet curable disease. All of them fought their respective battles with cancer, some emerged out victorious, but famous public figures like Vinod Khanna, Rajesh Khanna, Nargis Dutt, Mumtaz, Tom Alter, Paul Newman, Anne Bancroft etc lost their lives.
Most Common Types of Cancer
There are various rare and more frequent types of cancer that are known in this date and age. Some of them are given below:
- Breast Cancer
- Terminal Lung Cancer
- Prostate Cancer
- Colon Cancer
- Lymphoma
- Leukemia
- Basal Cell Cancer
- Skin Cancer
- Testicular Cancer
- Melanoma
Types of Cancer Treatments
The treatment of any type of cancer depends upon what the stage and type of cancer it is. A medical procedure is followed accordingly. The most common types of treatments that are resorted to cure cancer patients are given as follows:
Chemotherapy through Drip System and Tablets:
In the United States, there are advanced treatments available for every type of cancer. Cancer patients are treated with either of the two types of chemotherapeutic surgeries available. One is, injecting the medicine(s) through the drip which takes about 7 to 8 hours and second one is through oral medication i.e. through consuming chemo tablets.
Radiation Therapy or Radiotherapy
Radiotherapy is also a very crucial part of the cancer treatment. Sometimes due to chemotherapy, few cells become so active that they can harm the patient so in order to kill them, RT is done. Also, before the treatment for cancer starts, the doctors usually check as to which therapy out of chemo or RT is required to be conducted. This solely depends upon the intensity and growth of the malignant cells.
Blood Transfusion and PDT Therapy
These techniques and procedures are more prominently used by patients seeking treatment in the US. For example, Blood Transfusion is resorted to if a person is suffering from blood cancer. Similarly, procedures such as stem cell transplant, photodynamic therapy (PDT), Laser Therapy, Hyperthermia etc are used for treating cancer patients.
Yoga Sessions and Motivational Lectures to generate positivity:
Apart from these medicated treatments, celebrities are also encouraged to attend yoga sessions and motivational lectures in order to divert their mind from their illness.
- Celebrities seeking treatment for cancer are given positive and motivating speeches about life and are also advised to meditate.
- Most of these motivating lectures are usually given by the celebrity cancer survivors only so that their story inspires the one who is currently battling with the disease. Popular motivational speakers are Jim Kelly, Diana Jordan, Alan Hobson, Jennifer Griffin, Scott Hamilton and many others.
- Yoga also helps a great deal in curing the disease and especially for the breast cancer patients, it works wonders. A recent study conducted at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, USA shows that regular yoga sessions help to relieve stress and fatigue.
- The American Cancer Society strongly recommends to all the cancer survivors to do minimum 150 minutes of exercise every week, including yoga and strength training.
Cost of Cancer Treatment of Celebrities
There cannot be any viable figures for cancer treatments because the cost of one’s treatment for cancer shall depend on the type of cancer and the number of chemo rounds to be conducted. However, it can be rightfully said that the treatment of this disease is much better and advanced in the US. This is more so because the United States itself is an advanced nation in terms of health and hygiene.
The total cost ranges from thousands to lakhs if we talk about cancer treatments in India whereas cancer treatments in the USA would cost the patient in crores.
Let us have a more detailed look on the approximate cost depending upon the type of treatment in India and the USA:
| Average Cost of Cancer Treatment in India and USA |
| Therapy/Surgery |
Cost (in INR) |
Cost (in US$) |
| Chemotherapy (1 Round) |
Rs. 10 to 15 Thousands |
$2000 – $3000 |
| Radiation Therapy |
Approx. 4 Lakhs |
$4000 – $7000 |
| Breast Cancer Surgery (Single/Double Mastectomy) |
Approx. 5 Lakhs |
$7000 |
| Surgery for Prostate Cancer |
Approx. 7 Lakhs |
$10,000 |
| PET – CT Scan |
Approx. Rs 10000 |
$5000 and above |
So clearly, getting treated in the States is a costly affair but one cannot ignore the fact that the patient survives in most cases. We can find a large number of celebrity survivors in the USA and above everything else, what matters is the courage and positivity above anything else to become cancer free.
