‘Cancer Never Beat Him Because it Never Got His Spirit’: ‘SNL’ Star Cecily Strong Remembers Her Cousin Who Fought Brain Cancer

In a new interview on Armchair Expert, Strong, who’s currently starring on Apple TV+’s show Schmigadoon, shares with podcast host Dax Shepard what it was like to lose her cousin at such a young age. Owen Strong was only 30 years old when he passed away in January 2020.

Shepard lost his stepfather to prostate cancer and his dad to lung cancer at 62.

Understanding Glioblastoma

Owen Strong’s type of brain cancer, glioblastoma, is an aggressive form of the disease and there is currently no cure. It's the most aggressive primary brain tumor.

Brain cancer treatment options are broadening, thanks to newer cancer research. Duke University Medical Center neuro-oncologist Dr. Henry Friedman tells SurvivorNet in an earlier interview there is progress being made in the treatment of the disease. Cecily Strong and Dr. Friedman became connected during Owen’s cancer fight; she shares during the interview that the two have a text chain, saying, “Oncologists are wild, I don’t know if you know this.”

 

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Dr. Friedman and his Duke colleagues are investigating a new therapy that combines the modified poliovirus and immunotherapy. In her interview, Strong says that Owen was injected with the poliovirus as part of his treatment plan.

"The modified poliovirus is used to treat this tumor, by injecting it directly into the tumor, through a catheter. It is designed to lyse the tumor and cause the tumor cells to basically break up," explains Dr. Friedman.

"I think that the modified poliovirus is going to be a game-changer in glioblastoma," says Dr. Friedman, "but I should also say that its reach is now extending into melanoma soon to bladder cancer."

There Is New Hope for Those Fighting the Same Cancer That Took John McCain & Ted Kennedy; Using Polio & Immunotherapy to Fight Brain Tumors

Positivity Through Cancer

In her interview on Armchair, Strong says Owen’s outlook was impressive. She remembers how he once said, “Minus this brain cancer this has been the best year of my life.” Strong says throughout his illness, they believed he would beat it.

“He'd been living with it for a year and a half, and I was like: ‘Owen's gonna beat glioblastoma He will.' He believed it, I believed it. In the end, I thought, well cancer never beat him because it never got his spirit,” says Strong.

The actress also remembers how her cousin would wear funny hats to hide his surgery scars, and that, despite his health troubles, he maintained a steadfast positivity and joy through his cancer journey.

Stay Positive, It Matters

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