Suzanne Somers revealed she has been battling a recurrence of breast cancer, more than 20 years after initially being diagnosed with the disease. The 76-year-old actor shared the health update with her social media followers in a message posted to Instagram on Monday.
“Since I have been taking time off from work, many of you have asked for more details about my health,” Somers wrote, captioning a photo that pictures the “Three’s Company” star with her husband Alan Hamel. She has been absent in recent weeks from her Facebook Live show.
“As you know, I had breast cancer two decades ago, and every now and then it pops up again, and I continue to bat it down,” her post continued. “I have used the best alternative and conventional treatments to combat it.”
Somers thanked her family and her fans for their support.
“Alan has been by my side every step of the way. I can’t even explain how much he has done for me. If it’s even possible, we are even closer than ever,” she wrote. “My incredible family has been so supportive, and have helped so much by keeping the business running so you can still have access to all the wonderful products. Thank you for the continued love and support. It’s only about who you love and who loves you – and I love you!”
Hamel told Page Six that his wife is now cancer-free after the disease returned earlier this year.
“She has now dealt with her cancer once again,” he said. “On June 6, she got an all-clear, but cancer is tricky and we will now closely monitor everything going forward.”
Somers, who first dealt with melanoma, a type of skin cancer, in her 30s, spoke out about her breast cancer diagnosis during an interview with Larry King at the beginning of 2002. At the time, the actor said she had been undergoing treatments for about one year.
“As one of millions of cancer patients, we do our best not to let this insidious disease control us. I find bliss in each day,” Somers said in a separate statement to CBS News on Monday.
“It’s a recurrence of my breast cancer. Like any cancer patient, when you get that’s dreaded, ‘It’s back’ you get a pit in your stomach,” the statement continued. “Then I put on my battle gear and go to war. This is familiar battleground for me and I’m very tough.”
