William Shatner, the 95-year-old actor known for his role as Captain James T. Kirk in the Star Trek franchise, and his 61-year-old daughter Melanie Shatner Gretsch have publicly discussed their experiences with stage 4 cancer in a new interview with People magazine.
Melanie was diagnosed with HER2-positive breast cancer in 2022 after discovering a lump beneath her breast in July of that year. Upon further examination, doctors determined that the cancer had spread to lymph nodes in her chest.
Her treatment included multiple rounds of chemotherapy combined with HER2-targeted therapies, a double mastectomy without reconstruction, and 30 sessions of radiation therapy completed over approximately one and a half years. She described chemotherapy as the most physically draining part of treatment and radiation as emotionally draining.
William Shatner was diagnosed in June 2023 with stage 4 malignant melanoma that had spread to his lungs and brain. A lump on his cheek prompted further medical evaluation.
He later underwent surgery to remove the facial tumor, followed by two years of immunotherapy using a combination of drugs designed to help the immune system recognize and attack cancer cells.
Over time, both Melanie and her father completed their primary treatments and achieved cancer-free status.
: https://t.co/d2Oa0oUhmd #WilliamShatner is sharing the moment he was diagnosed with stage 4 melanoma cancer and how he and his daughter #MelanieShatner, who was diagnosed with stage 4 breast cancer, both became cancer-free within two years. See the full interview on the… pic.twitter.com/tzo5qzTAc8
— People (@people) July 22, 2026
During their respective treatments, the father and daughter provided mutual support. Melanie contacted her father during a difficult moment while undergoing chemotherapy and expressed fear. He responded by arriving promptly and offering reassurance that the experience would become a memory.
William also told Melanie not to worry about the financial aspects of her care and to send him the bills, People reported. “[Overcoming cancer] changed my life. I’m not so afraid anymore, and there’s so much freedom and joy,” Melanie recalled in the interview.
Their upcoming podcast No Time but Now will feature weekly episodes interviewing health experts and individuals who have faced serious illnesses. Topics include wellness, longevity, and personal accounts from survivors.
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