Tragic: Cancer Has Returned for These Stars

Many celebrities have beaten cancer, but for some, the disease has returned. Here, you'll find out who has had to face the battle against cancer more than once.

Shannen Doherty was diagnosed with breast cancer in March 2015 and spoke openly about her battle with the disease. In 2017, she announced that she was cancer-free. But in 2020, the tide turned: the disease returned at stage four. On July 13, 2024, Shannen Doherty died at the age of just 53.

When actress Kathy Bates was diagnosed with early-stage ovarian cancer in 2003, she kept it to herself and underwent surgery and nine months of chemotherapy. Her agent didn’t want her to become the “poster child” for ovarian cancer, she told *People* in 2018. “I didn’t want anyone to find out, but it really took a toll on me,” she said.

After being diagnosed with breast cancer in 2012, she decided to go public with her story. She underwent a double mastectomy and told *People* that she was lucky not to have needed any further treatment. She was later diagnosed with lymphedema, a painful swelling caused by blocked lymph nodes. "It's progressive and incurable," Bates said in 2019 on "The Kelly Clarkson Show." "You can get infections that land you in the hospital."

In 1983, "The Nanny" star Fran Drescher had to undergo treatment for breast cancer, followed by uterine cancer in 2000. The actress was able to overcome both illnesses, and she chronicled her journey in a book.

After her diagnosis, Suzanne Somers became known as an advocate for alternative cancer treatments. In 2001, she took a mistletoe extract supplement to boost her immune system after undergoing a lumpectomy and radiation therapy for breast cancer, as reported by the "New York Post." In her 2012 book *Knockout*, she explained her decision to pursue non-traditional treatments and said that alternatives were her best hope for survival during her two battles with cancer.

In July 2023, she announced on Instagram that her cancer had returned. "I had breast cancer two decades ago, and every now and then it comes back, and I keep fighting it," she wrote, noting that she uses both alternative and conventional treatments. Suzanne Somers passed away on October 15, 2023. Her publicist told CNN: “Suzanne Somers passed away peacefully at home... She survived an aggressive form of breast cancer for over 23 years.”

Hugh Jackman underwent treatment for basal cell carcinoma in 2013 and again in 2015. After his second diagnosis, he reminded his followers on Twitter and Instagram of the importance of skin cancer prevention. He emphasized the need for regular screenings, thanked his doctors for helping him recover, and urged everyone to use sunscreen to protect against harmful UV rays.

Actress Kate Jackson was first diagnosed with breast cancer in 1987. After undergoing radiation therapy, she initially recovered, but then had to battle the disease again two years later.

Olivia Newton-John battled breast cancer for 30 years before passing away on August 8, 2022, at the age of 73. Her husband, John Easterling, described her as a symbol of hope and triumph. When she was diagnosed in 1992 following a self-exam, she insisted on further testing even though the initial results were negative, and a surgical biopsy confirmed the cancer. She emphasized the importance of self-examination and trusting one’s instincts, and supported the Olivia Newton-John Cancer Wellness and Research Center. When the cancer returned in 2013 and spread to her bones in 2017, Newton-John used both conventional treatments and CBD tinctures.