William Shatner and daughter Melanie open up about simultaneous Stage 4 cancer diagnoses

The Shatners revealed how they battled Stage 4 melanoma and breast cancer together in new interview

William Shatner and his daughter, Melanie Shatner Gretsch, have revealed they were both diagnosed with Stage 4 cancer during the same period and are now cancer-free, according to People.

The publication reports that Melanie, 61, was diagnosed with Stage 4 breast cancer in 2022 after discovering a lump in her breast.

A year later, Shatner, 95, learned he had Stage 4 melanoma that had spread to his lungs and brain.

Melanie underwent multiple rounds of chemotherapy with HER2-targeted therapies, a double mastectomy and 30 radiation treatments over the course of 18 months. During her treatment, she said she was also deeply concerned about her father's health.

“I remember vividly thinking, ‘I don’t have the strength to take care of myself and lose my father at the same time,’” she said.

Shatner underwent surgery to remove a tumour from his cheek before completing two years of immunotherapy to treat the cancer that had spread. Reflecting on their care, he said, “We got the perfect doctors for her cancer and my cancer.”

Melanie also recalled how her father eased her concerns about medical costs by telling her, “I do not want you to worry. Just send me the bills.” She added that he later joked, “You’ve got to get well. We’re going to be in the poorhouse!”

The father and daughter are now launching a podcast, No Time but Now, where they will speak with health experts and fellow cancer survivors.

“It’s easy for us in this lovely home to say, ‘Make your life meaningful.’ It’s much more difficult to be poverty-stricken and wonder how you’re going to get through it. I’ve been there,” Shatner said. “But it’s also possible to endure that and be aware of the beauty around you.”

Melanie said the experience had transformed her outlook on life, adding, “[Overcoming cancer] changed my life. I’m not so afraid anymore, and there’s so much freedom and joy.”