Edward James Olmos, Khloé Kardashian Discuss Cancer, Survivor Makes a Musical About Her Diagnosis and More

Actor, director and producer Edward James Olmos recently revealed his cancer diagnosis.

Edward James Olmos, the actor whose resume includes roles in television series and films such as “Miami Vice,” “Selena” and “Battlestar Galactica,” announced last week that he was diagnosed with throat cancer. The 76-year-old said that he underwent his final radiation treatment in December. Before that, he underwent chemotherapy and a combination of chemotherapy and radiation — an experience he said was particularly difficult.

“There were times in the months that I was undergoing the treatments that the body gives up,” Olmos said on the Mando & Friends podcast. “And I didn’t want to take my food through my stomach. They wanted to put tubes in and feed me nutrients because I couldn’t swallow. They had to get 2,500 calories into my body every day. That was ridiculous, that was so hard.”

Olmos also said, however, that his experience gave him a new appreciation for life, explaining that it “was an experience that changed me, the understanding of how wonderful this life is.”

Khloé Karsashian opened up about her skin cancer diagnosis.

Khloé Karsashian, who stars on the reality TV series “The Kardashians,” discussed her melanoma diagnosis on the third season of the show.

Kardashian, aged 38, had a spot removed from her face in October 2022. Initially she “assumed it was a zit,” she explained on the show. "Turns out it's not a zit. It's melanoma. For my age, it's incredibly rare. It's so rare that they have to go in more to see if it's spread. At this point, it does feel a little scary," she said.

A musician made a musical comedy after being diagnosed with breast cancer.

"All Wigged Out" is a musical telling the story of Marcy Marxer's cancer experience.

When Marcy Marxer — a Grammy-winning musician — was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2015, she shared her experiences on social media, becoming a “kind of chemo coach” for those in similar situations, she told NPR, explaining that eventually her cancer content grew into a movie musical comedy called “All Wigged Out,” produced by Marxer and her partner, Cathy Fink.

The move highlights Marxer’s seven-year experience with her diagnosis, treatment and survivorship and includes musical numbers such as “Unsolicited Advice,” and “I Feel a Little Tipsy.”

An MLB pitcher returned to the mound after cancer treatment.

Chicago White Sox pitcher Liam Hendriks, who was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma in December, returned to baseball after finishing treatment for the disease. The 34-year-old took to the mound in the top of the eighth inning in a May 29 game against the Los Angeles Angels.

The White Sox ended up losing the game, but the experience was still a major step forward for Hendriks.

“Yeah, it was great being back out there,” said Hendriks during a postgame press conference. “Getting back, putting cleats on, running out, doing all that. I felt good, I felt strong, I felt comfortable out there.”

“Again, this is bigger than baseball, right? This is about life and the diagnosis and the comeback and how he did it. And how good he was prior to (it) and how good he’s going to be afterward,” White Sox manager Pedro Grifol said. “This is just bigger than the game itself. What he’s done and how he’s done it has been remarkable. It’s an inspiration to everybody on this club, it’s an inspiration to everybody who follows the game and knows about Liam.”

For more news on cancer updates, research and education, don’t forget to subscribe to CURE®’s newsletters here.