William ShatnerThe ‘Star Trek’ icon and his young daughter, Melanie Shatner, opened up about fighting cancer together. After the 60-year-old was diagnosed with stage 4 breast cancer, the 95-year-old actor battled stage 4 malignant melanoma. His health scare began in 2023, when he noticed a lump on his cheek; he noticed his core in 2022. After undergoing treatments and examinations, the duo today are disease-free and maintain different perspectives on life. Here’s a closer look at William Shatner and his daughter Melanie Shatner’s stage 4 cancer diagnosis.
William Shatner and Melanie Shatner remember their stage 4 diagnosis
Melanie Shatner was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer after finding a lump in her breast in 2022, per PEOPLE. Opening up about his cancer journey, William said: “I went to an oncologist… and they operated almost immediately on stage 4 melanoma,” during the joint interview. Stage 4 melanoma is cancer that has spread from its original site to distant parts of the body, according to the National Cancer Institute. Previously, aggressive diagnosis meant that the median survival time would be less than a year. However, due to scientific improvements in treatments such as immunotherapies and other targeted therapies, outcomes have changed positively. While Melanie broke down, thinking she was dying from the deadly disease, she revealed the actor was as strong as ever. “I called you and said, ‘I think I’m dying,'” he recalled. Speaking about her family’s support, she said: “We’re a very close family. We’re bonded by all kinds of hardships that we’ve overcome. And who knows what else we’ll overcome.”See more: ‘Jana Nayagan’ Movie Review & Live Updates Released: Thalapathy Vijay’s Latest Movie First Reviews Released
William Shatner and Melanie Shatner: Life After Stage 4 Cancer
“It’s these miracles of life. If you let them pass, you lose your joy in living,” said the actor who famously played Captain Kirk in the sci-fi franchise, to which Melanie added: “It changed my life, all for the better.”The duo is set to launch their weekly podcast show “No Time But Now” to chat with health experts and survivors.