William Shatner has revealed that he was battling stage 4 cancer at the same time as his daughter, Melanie Shatner Gretsch.
Diagnoses and treatment
The Star Trek legend, 95, was diagnosed with stage four melanoma in 2023, just months after his daughter Melanie, 61, was told she had stage 4 breast cancer. The pair, who are now both cancer-free, opened up about their cancer battle in a joint interview, admitting it transformed their outlook on life.
Melanie was diagnosed with stage four HER2-positive breast cancer in 2022, after discovering a lump in her breast. The actress was left devastated as it came just five months following a clear mammogram. William, famed for playing Captain James T. Kirk in the original Star Trek series, received his own cancer diagnosis about a year later. Doctors had discovered stage four melanoma, which had spread to his lungs and brain.
William recalled the moment he sought medical help. He told People: "I went to an oncologist... and they operated almost immediately with Stage 4 melanoma." Cancer UK states that Stage 4 melanoma is an advanced form of skin cancer that has spread beyond its original location to distant parts of the body, such as the lungs, liver, brain, or distant skin areas. It is also called metastatic melanoma. It used to carry a prognosis of less than a year, but advances in medicine have dramatically improved survival rates for many patients.
Family bond and new podcast
Melanie feared the worst after learning about her father's diagnosis, but said he remained remarkably optimistic throughout his treatment. She said: "His response was like, 'I'm gonna be fine'." Melanie, the youngest daughter of Shatner and his first wife Gloria Rand, added: "I remember vividly thinking, 'I don’t have the strength to take care of myself and lose my father at the same time'."
The pair were there for one another through chemotherapy, surgery and immunotherapy, and William has explained how close-knit their family became during the ordeal. He said: "We're in a very together family. We're bonded by all kinds of difficulties that we overcame. And who knows what else we're going to overcome."
Melanie also shared one of her darkest moments during chemotherapy, when she became convinced she was close to dying. The pair were both declared cancer-free at the end of 2024.
Now, the father-daughter duo are talking about surviving cancer in their new podcast, No Time But Now. Melanie revealed her father has found joy in life's simplest moments, explaining: "He gets more joy out of seeing a bird fly past his window and is more aware and has taught my sisters and I to be so aware of the sunrise and the blue sky."
Discussing his new appreciation for life, William said: "It's these miracles of life. If you let them go by, you lose your joy of living." Melanie echoed his feelings, saying: "It changed my life, all for the better."
