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William Shatner and his daughter Melanie Shatner Gretsch have disclosed they fought stage 4 cancer at the same time and are both now cancer-free, Page Six reports.
The 95-year-old actor and his 61-year-old daughter detailed their overlapping health battles in an interview with PEOPLE. Melanie received a stage 4 breast cancer diagnosis in 2022 after finding a lump. A year later, Shatner learned he had stage 4 melanoma that had spread to his lungs and brain.
Melanie underwent multiple chemotherapy rounds with HER2-targeted therapies, had a double mastectomy and received 30 radiation treatments across an 18-month period. During her recovery, she worried about her father’s condition.
“I remember vividly thinking, ‘I don’t have the strength to take care of myself and lose my father at the same time,’” she told People.
As Melanie completed her treatment, the “Star Trek” actor discovered a lump on his cheek that doctors identified as a growing tumor. He had surgery to remove it and finished two years of immunotherapy to address the cancer that had spread. Shatner attributed their recoveries to finding “the perfect doctors” for their needs.
The father and daughter supported each other during treatment. Melanie said her father relieved her financial worries by telling her, “I do not want you to worry. Just send me the bills.” She added that he later joked she needed to recover quickly or they would end up in the “poorhouse.”
Shatner continued working throughout his diagnosis. When home, Melanie and her husband, Joel Gretsch, brought him dinner and watched movies with him.
The pair have launched a podcast called “No Time but Now” that will feature conversations with health experts and other cancer survivors.
Shatner told TV Insider he has grown more “fearful” of death as he ages and does not want to die with unanswered questions. He told Hello! magazine his focus is staying healthy and functioning for his family and dogs.
Melanie said overcoming cancer has given her a sense of freedom and joy.
“I’m not so afraid anymore,” she said.
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