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William Shatner has revealed that he survived stage 4 malignant melanoma after the cancer spread to his lungs and brain, opening up about the private health battle as he prepares to launch a podcast with his daughter, who was fighting stage 4 breast cancer at the same time.
The 95-year-old "Star Trek" actor and his youngest daughter, Melanie Shatner Gretsch, 61, discussed their overlapping diagnoses in a new People cover story published Wednesday.
Shatner was diagnosed in June 2023, just as Melanie was approaching the final stage of her own cancer treatment. A growing lump on his cheek had initially been attributed to a blocked salivary gland, but a plastic-surgeon friend later urged him to have it removed.
Doctors determined that Shatner had stage 4 malignant melanoma that had metastasized to his lungs and brain. He underwent surgery to remove the tumor from his face, followed by two years of immunotherapy targeting the cancer elsewhere in his body.
"They said, 'You got cancer. If you came in later, you would have been dead,'" Shatner recalled. "See? That's my life. I think the universe is taking care of me."
Melanie said she was still undergoing treatment when she learned of her father's diagnosis.
"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.
Melanie discovered a lump in July 2022, five months after receiving a clear mammogram. Testing showed that she had HER2-positive breast cancer that had spread to lymph nodes in her chest.
Over the following year and a half, she underwent chemotherapy with HER2-targeted therapies, a double mastectomy and 30 radiation treatments.
"Chemo was the most physically draining, and the radiation I found so emotionally draining," Melanie said.
Despite his own diagnosis, Shatner continued working while receiving treatment. Melanie and her husband, actor Joel Gretsch, regularly brought him dinner and watched movies with him so he would not be alone.
By late 2024, both Shatner and Melanie had been declared cancer-free. Shatner said the experience left him with a greater appreciation for ordinary moments.
"I'm thinking of the miracle of a hummingbird, and of my dog taking a ball, and my children," he said. "I'm aware of the magic of it all."
Melanie said overcoming cancer also changed her relationship with fear.
"I'm not so afraid anymore, and there's so much freedom and joy," she said.
The father and daughter are now turning their experiences into a weekly health, wellness and longevity podcast titled "No Time but Now," presented by LifeWave and premiering July 29.
The series will feature conversations with health experts and fellow cancer survivors, including Olympic gold medalist Scott Hamilton, end-of-life advocate Alua Arthur, physician and author Dr. Gabor Maté and "Dying to Be Me" author Anita Moorjani.
"We're doing this podcast in which we talk about making life count now," Shatner said. "There's a joy in this communication."
Shatner is best known for playing Capt. James T. Kirk across the "Star Trek" franchise. He said he remains active at 95 and considers himself healthier than he has been in years.
"The brain is like a muscle," he said. "It feeds on activity."
