All about melanoma as William Shatner reveals he beat stage 4…
William Shatner is breaking his silence on a harrowing stage 4 cancer battle that got here as his youngest youngster was combating her personal devastating health disaster.
The 95-year-old actor revealed this week that he was identified with melanoma that had unfold to his lungs and mind in 2023 — about a 12 months after his daughter, Melanie Shatner Gretsch, started treatment for metastatic breast cancer.
“They said, ‘You got cancer. If you came in later, you would have been dead,’” Shatner told People.
(*4*) Melanie, 65, said.
William Shatner is cancer-free after a two 12 months battle with melanoma. Getty Images
The horrifying discovery got here after Melanie observed a lump on her father’s cheek while she was in the final phases of her personal Stage 4 cancer treatment.
The “Star Trek” star initially dismissed the progress after his household doctor told him it was nothing more than a blocked salivary gland. But when the mass continued to develop, a plastic surgeon good friend urged him to get it checked out.
He ultimately underwent surgical procedure to take away the tumor on his face. That was adopted by two years of immunotherapy to focus on the cancer in his lungs and mind.
Today, the father-daughter duo are each cancer-free — and so they’re turning their shared experience right into a new health, wellness and longevity podcast, “No Time but Now,” launching July 29. The pair will interview health specialists and other survivors on the present.
“We’re a very together family,” Shatner said. “We’re bonded by all kinds of difficulties that we’ve overcome.”
The news of Shatner’s melanoma diagnosis comes amid a string of high-profile Hollywood circumstances involving the devastating disease, which accurately interprets to “black tumor.”
“Real Housewives of Beverly Hills” alum Teddi Mellencamp was identified with superior melanoma in 2022, and by 2025, the cancer had metastasized to her lungs and mind.
Shatner fought the disease as his daughter underwent treatment for Stage 4 breast cancer. Getty Images
Just last week, she shared an emotional update with followers, revealing that there’s at the moment no hint of cancer in her boy, though she stays labeled as Stage 4 and is still doing immunotherapy.
But not everybody survives. Last August, Kelly Clarkson’s ex-husband, expertise supervisor Brandon Blackstock, died at age 48 after a non-public three-year fight with melanoma.
To be taught more, The Post tapped two specialists for perception into melanoma. The most harmful type of skin cancer sends about 8,000 Americans to the grave each 12 months — right here’s what you are able to do to keep away from changing into one in every of them.
Brandon Blackstock and Kelly Clarkson attend Billboard’s Women in Music Awards on Nov. 30, 2017. Getty Images for FIJI Water
What makes melanoma so harmful?
“Many skin cancers — for example, basal cell carcinoma — grow only on the skin and do not commonly spread,” Dr. Viktoryia Kazlouskaya, CEO of the Dermatology Circle, told The Post.
Melanoma, meanwhile, is a complete different beast.
“Melanoma is considered the most dangerous type of skin cancer because it has a high potential to spread (metastasize) to other parts of the body if not detected and treated early,” said Dr. Adarsh Vijay Mudgil, a dermatologist.
This is because melanoma cells act in a different way than other skin cancer cells, shortly spreading to other organs and tissues by way of the bloodstream and lymphatic system, Mudgil explained.
The danger of melanoma spreading will depend on a number of elements, Kazlouskaya added, including the measurement and stage of the tumor, the affected person’s age and other medical situations they may have, such as a suppressed immune system.
When medical doctors found a number of tumors in Mellencamp’s mind in February 2025, they believed they “had been growing for at least six months.”
”These are all a direct result of my melanoma,” she shared by way of Instagram in March. Doctors also went on to search out tumors in her lungs.
It’s important to get common skin checkups to be sure to don’t have regarding spots. Africa Studio – inventory.adobe.com
What does melanoma appear like?
“Melanomas can appear as a new mole, a changing mole or a spot with an irregular shape, border or color, often with shades of brown, black, or even pink, red or white,” Mudgil said.
“Things to look for are the ‘ABCDE’s’ of melanoma — asymmetry, border irregularity, color variability, diameter greater than 6 mm (which is the size of a pencil eraser), and last, evolution of an existing mole to exhibit any of the aforementioned qualities,” he beneficial.
While it’s helpful to regulate your skin for any modifications, Kazlouskaya pointed out that in many circumstances, you’ll want an expert to judge suspicious spots.
“Many common moles can be large or slightly irregular but are not dangerous,” she said. “And vice versa — melanomas are not always very atypical and sometimes don’t even have pigment.”
Who’s in danger for melanoma?
“Melanoma can affect folks of all skin colors and ethnicities,” Mudgil said.
However, lighter skin considerably raises your possibilities of creating the disease. In fact, the lifetime danger of getting melanoma is 1 in 33 for white people, in comparison with just 1 in 1,000 for black people, according to the American Cancer Society.
This is because lighter skin accommodates less melanin, the pigment that protects against UV harm. Among those with lighter skin, the danger is particularly increased for people with crimson or blond hair, blue or inexperienced eyes or skin that freckles or burns simply.
The danger of melanoma also will increase with age. The common age of Americans identified is 66, however it’s one in every of the most frequent cancers in people under 30 — particularly younger women.
Other danger elements embody being male, having a number of moles, a private or household historical past of the disease and a historical past of blistering sunburns, notably in childhood. People who spend plenty of time outside could also face increased danger because of elevated solar publicity.
“Real Housewives of Beverly Hills” alum Teddi Mellencamp was identified with melanoma in 2022. teddimellencamp/Instagram
How can I shield myself from melanoma?
Most skin cancers are attributable to an excessive amount of publicity to ultraviolet rays.
To decrease your danger of melanoma, it’s important to be conscious of how a lot UV publicity you’re getting.
“Daily sunscreen and protective clothing when the sun is extreme are simple prevention measures,” Kazlouskaya said.
The solar’s rays are strongest between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., so attempt to keep away from being exterior during these hours or keep in the shade.
But don’t be fooled by cloudy or cool days — UV rays can still attain you, and so they mirror off surfaces like water, cement and snow.
That’s why you must put on a broad-spectrum sunscreen with an SPF of 30 or increased every day, irrespective of the climate.
And never, ever step foot in an indoor tanning mattress. They emit dangerous UV radiation, and research present that utilizing one before the age of 35 can improve your danger of melanoma by as much as 75%.
Finally, prevention is key.
“Yearly skin checks and self-exams may help detect a suspicious spot early on,” Kazlouskaya said.
Indoor tanning beds considerably improve your danger of creating melanoma. Drazen – inventory.adobe.com
What are my odds of surviving melanoma?
“Melanoma is among the ‘deadliest’ cancers we know.” Kazlouskaya said. The key to profitable treatment is early detection.
“The earlier we catch it, the better,” she explained. “At early stages, it can often be cured with just a simple excision and has a wonderful prognosis.”
But as soon as the cancer spreads, those odds change dramatically.
In circumstances the place melanoma hasn’t unfold past the skin, 99 out of 100 sufferers will survive for 5 years after diagnosis, according to the ACS.
That quantity drops considerably to just 35 out of 100 sufferers when the cancer has unfold to distant components of the physique, like the lungs or liver.
In 2025, the ACS estimates that round 104,960 new melanoma circumstances shall be identified in the US, with roughly 8,430 Americans anticipated to die from the disease.
“If you see something unusual on your skin, get in to see a board certified dermatologist ASAP!” Mudgil said.
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