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Colon cancer - Ronald Reagan, Pope John Paul II and Justice Ginsberg

For the latest information on famous people with colon cancer and current news on other colon cancer topics, please accept a free weekly subscription to the CCR Newsletter.

Famous People with Colon Cancer

There are many famous people with colon cancer. Cancer does not care if you are famous or not. Famous people suffer from the same illnesses like everyone else. Regardless of:

  • economic status,
  • culture, or
  • education level - anyone can get colon cancer.

Among the famous people with colon cancer are Sharon Osbourne, Ronald Reagan, and Tony Snow. You can see a more complete list of colon cancer patients below. And there are many more people than these.

Katie Couric

One celebrity linked with colon cancer does not have the disease. This celebrity is Katie Couric. In 1998, Katie Couric lost her husband Jay Monahan to colon cancer. After he died, she used her own fame to start a campaign to raise awareness about colon cancer and the importance of regular colon screenings. In March 2000, Katie Couric underwent a colonoscopy live on national television. An increase in screening rates is attributed to publicity generated by her.

Here is a list of some other famous people with colon cancer:

  • Corazon Aquino, former president of the Philippines
  • Milton Berle, American comedian, died March 27, 2002 at the age of 93
  • Lillian Board, British athlete
  • Dick Dale, surf guitarist whose cancer has recurred as of 2008
  • Denis D'Amour, guitar player for the band Voivod
  • Claude Debussy, French composer
  • Babe Didrikson Zaharias, American athlete
  • Conrad Furey, Canadian painter
  • Ruth Bader Ginsburg, U.S. Supreme Court justice
  • Audrey Hepburn, actress, died January 20, 1993
  • Pope John Paul II
  • Carolyn Jones, actress, known for playing Morticia Addams in "The Addams Family". Diagnosed with colon cancer in 1982, died one year later in 1983.
  • Eartha Kitt, American singer and actress, died December 25, 2008
  • Jack Lemmon, American actor, died of colon and bladder cancer on June 27, 2001, aged 76
  • Vince Lombardi, coach of the Green Bay Packers, died of metastatic colon cancer
  • H.P. Lovecraft, horror writer
  • Marilyn Martinez, comedian
  • Walter Matthau, American actor, had metastatic colon cancer, but died of heart disease on July 1, 2000, aged 79
  • Lois Maxwell, Canadian actress, known for originating the role of Miss Moneypenny in the James Bond movies, died September 29 2007
  • Tammy Faye Messner, American Christian singer, evangelist, died July 20, 2007
  • Elizabeth Montgomery, American actress, died at age 62, 8 weeks after diagnosis
  • Jeff Moss, co-founder of Sesame Street
  • Sharon Osbourne, British reality TV star and talent show judge, diagnosed with colon cancer in July 2002, aged 49. She has recovered.
  • Ronald Reagan, U.S. President
  • Rod Roddy, previous announcer for "The Price Is Right," died at age 66, 2 years after diagnosis
  • Mstislav Rostropovich, one of the greatest cellists of all time, died April 27, 2007
  • Gary Rowe, Tennessee State Representative
  • Charles Schulz, creator of 'Peanuts,' died at age 77, 60 days after diagnosis
  • Joel Siegel, movie critic and host of "Good Morning America," died at age 64, 10 years after diagnosis
  • Tony Snow, White House press secretary under George W. Bush died July 12, 2008 at the age of 53
  • Darryl Strawberry, baseball player
  • Protect Yourself From the High Cost of Cancer

    According to the recent studies, American men have a 44% chance of developing cancer while the chances for women are about 37%. The general risk of developing colon cancer in the United States is about 6%. For this reason, it's important for everyone, particularly people above the age of 50 years, to go for routine screening.

    Whether discovered early or late, cancer is a debilitating disease due to the care, costs and the mental and physical trauma involved. Many times the cost of treatment leaves the patient in heavy financial distress.

    Most insurance plans do not cover the total cost of the treatment, which leaves the patient and their family in a lurch. These days people have started purchasing supplemental cancer insurance that can help in covering otherwise uninsured expenses related to cancer illness. If you would like to learn more about supplemental cancer insurance you can click here.

Other Resources for Famous People With Cancer

The Cancer Blog

Lymphomation

Wikepedia

Written by Deborah Theres - 2/24/09

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