Here’s What Suzanne Somers Has Said About Battling Cancer
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Fans of Suzanne Somers were shocked Sunday when news broke that the iconic actress had died of breast cancer. She was 76.
The Three’s Company star had publicly battled cancer for decades and spoke openly about her experience with the disease, including how it impacted her mental health.
Here’s a look back at Somers’ experience with cancer, as well as how the disease affected her life and career.
1977: Suzanne Somers first experienced cancer
Somers rose to fame playing lovable ditz Chrissy Snow on Three’s Company, and she later shared that she experienced cancer three times during the show’s run, which lasted until 1984.
“Even when I was Chrissy on Three’s Company, I had had cancer three times,” she told CBS News in 2020. “They call it severe hyperplasia in your uterus. I didn’t make a big deal about it. In my 30s, I got a malignant melanoma in my back.”
2001: Suzanne Somers publicly reveals her cancer diagnosis for the first time
The Step By Step star shared on Larry King Live in March 2001 that she had been diagnosed with breast cancer nearly a year before during a routine screening. “They found a tumor, 2.4 centimeters, which is fairly large, that was hidden deep in my breast,” she said. Somers shared that the tumor was not detected by mammogram, but rather during a follow-up ultrasound using a new machine that her doctor had just gotten.
“The machine saved my life,” she said. “The doctor said that at this size, by next year, if I had waited until my annual next year, he said it probably would have been too late, so, I mean, my life was saved because of this machine.”
Somers said she decided to speak openly about her diagnosis because a tabloid story about her getting liposuction called her partnership with ThighMaster into question. Somers said she underwent liposuction because she felt “disfigured” from her cancer treatments.
2007: Suzanne Somers shared that she was cancer-free
A 2007 Los Angeles Times profile detailed that Somers had a lumpectomy and radiation therapy, and underwent homeopathic treatments for cancer before she was declared cancer-free. The profile also noted that she had health problems from radiation treatment.
Somers said in an interview with Entertainment Tonight in July 2023 that doctors said her “chemical-free” and organic lifestyle helped support her health. “My doctors said that if I didn’t lead a chemical-free life, supported by bio-identical hormones, I would not likely be here today,” she said. It’s important to note that more research needs to be done in this space.
2008: Suzanne Somers was misdiagnosed with cancer
Somers published a book in 2010 called Knockout: Interviews with Doctors Who Are Curing Cancer and How to Prevent Getting It in the First Place, where she revealed that she was mistakenly given a terminal cancer diagnosis two years before.
“Six doctors confirmed I had inoperable cancer,” she said during an interview with CBS News. “I went into that valley of fear. I saw my death, it was horrible.” Somers learned a week later that she had been misdiagnosed.
Worth noting: Her book drew controversy for promoting alternative treatments to chemotherapy, even drawing the attention of the American Cancer Society.
July 2023: Suzanne Somers reveals her cancer returned
Somers posted a photo on Instagram in July of herself cuddling with her husband, Alan Hamel, before sharing a serious message in the caption.
“Since I have been taking time off from work, many of you have asked for more details about my health,” she wrote. “As you know, I had breast cancer two decades ago, and every now and then it pops up again, and I continue to bat it down. I have used the best alternative and conventional treatments to combat it. This is not new territory for me. I know how to put on my battle gear and I’m a fighter.”
Somers said that Hamel “has been by my side every step of the way,” before noting that her “incredible family has been so supportive, and have helped so much by keeping the business running so you can still have access to all the wonderful products.”
She ended on this note: “Thank you for the continued love and support. It’s only about who you love and who loves you - and I love you! ✨💛✨”
October 15, 2023: Suzanne Somers Dies
Somers’ family announced the news on social media. “Suzanne Somers passed away peacefully at home in the early morning hours of October 15th,” a statement shared on Instagram reads, noting that the actress, “survived an aggressive form of breast cancer for over 23 years.”
“Suzanne was surrounded by her loving husband Alan, her son Bruce, and her immediate family,” the statement continued. “Her family was gathered to celebrate her 77th birthday on October 16th. Instead, they will celebrate her extraordinary life, and want to thank her millions of fans and followers who loved her dearly.”
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