Information and Resources from the U-M Comprehensive Cancer Center

Keeping Up Appearances:
How celebrity images impact our view of cancer

How celebrity images impact our view of cancer

The news reports were cautiously optimistic (and maybe a little skeptical): Sen. Ted Kennedy would speak at the Democratic National Convention -- may be. Word had it that the senator, who has been undergoing treatment for a malignant brain tumor since May, was determined to make the trip. But family members were concerned: His imune system was in no condition for a crowd, which is what the convention, by definition, is.

And yet there he was, looking sturdy. His white shock of Kennedy hair was in place, but the odd camera angle caught a pink scalp peaking through a thinned patch on the side of his head. Without high definition TV, the IV port tucked beneath an ACE bandage on his left hand might've stayed hidden.

Kennedy's rousing 10-minute speech carried meaning for cancer survivors that went well beyond the words he spoke:

"My fellow Democrats, my fellow Americans, it is so wonderful to be here." As he left the stage, waving, throwing a thumbs up, "Still the One" blared from the speakers.

"When he came out, I thought, 'My God, what did that take for him to do that?' I don't know what treatment he's undergoing, but with that kind of tumor, to me, it was nothing short of a miracle," said Bill Howe, a 61-year-old Bath, Mich., man who is a seven-year survivor of metastatic prostate cancer. "That took more than people ever would dream for him to do that. I know they're appreciative, but they don't have a clue."

Kennedy is one of many celebrities who have remained in the spotlight despite a cancer diagnosis, choosing instead to present an image of determination and vigor in the face of a potentially deadly illness. Celebrities have been talking openly about cancer for years, but it's become nearly impossible to pass a grocery store checkout without some news of celebrity health.

Consider: Actress Christina Applegate gave an interview to ABC's Robin Roberts -- a fellow breast cancer survivor -- about having a double mastectomy after testing positive for the BRCA1 breast cancer gene. Swimmer Eric Shanteau put off treatment for testicular cancer to compete in the Olympics. Actor Patrick Swayze, diagnosed last spring with pancreatic cancer, continues to work on the set of his new television series. And, of course, there's the omnipresent Lance Armstrong; the nation's most recognizable celebrity survivor announced he would ride again in the Tour de France.

Research has shown that celebrity campaigns such as anchorwoman Katie Couric's efforts to promote colon cancer screenings are beneficial in raising public awareness, decreasing the stigma of cancer and encouraging people to see their doctors to catch cancer in earlier, more treatable stages, said Michelle Riba, M.D., M.S., director of PsychOncology at the University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center. But there can be unintended consequences.

"Some people view it as very inspirational," she said. "But sometimes, for the patient who's struggling, they don't want it in their face every time they go to the newsstand or the supermarket."

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