He Battled Multiple Cancers
- Larry Hagman passed away in 2012 at 81-years-old due to acute myeloid leukemia (AML); he also battled liver and throat cancer.
- Throughout his lifetime, he was a heavy smoker and drinker; alcohol is one of the leading causes of liver cancer and smoking is a main cause of throat cancer.
- AML is a cancer of the bone marrow, and is most commonly found in adults.
Hagman, known for his role as J.R. Ewing in Dallas and Anthony Nelson in I Dream of Jeannie, first felt the impact of cancer when his mother, Mary Martin, passed away in 1990 from colon cancer. Sadly Hagman would go on to face numerous cancer diagnoses of his own over the next 17 years.
Read MoreHe said of his throat cancer diagnosis: “As J.R. I could get away with anything bribery, blackmail and adultery. But I got caught by cancer,” Hagman said. “I do want everyone to know that it is a very common and treatable form of cancer. I will be receiving treatment while working on the new Dallas series.”
He had yet another surgery where they removed a tumor from from his tongue, and was declared in remission in 2012. However, his cancer fight wouldn’t stop there.
Despite being declared in remission from throat cancer, fans were shocked to hear that Hagman had also been battling acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and passed away from the disease in November 2012 while living in Dallas, Texas. His family broke the news in a touching statement, telling us that he was surrounded by loved ones.
“Larry’s family and close friends had joined him in Dallas for the Thanksgiving holiday,” the Hagman family told Dallas Morning News. “He died surrounded by loved ones. It was a peaceful passing, just as he had wished for.”
Throat & Liver Cancer: Causes
Lifestyle has a lot to do with cancer risk, and certain factors such as tobacco and alcohol are sometimes the main causes of certain types of diseases. Excessive drinking of the leading causes of liver cancer, and as a hard drinker for 40 years, Hagman credits him hitting the bottle for his diagnosis. “I drank for about 40 years and had a good time,” Hagman said. “I’ve beaten most of my buddies out in life, so the rest is kind of cream.”
Smoking or tobacco use is the main cause of throat cancer. Hagman himself admitted that he was heavy smoker for most of his lifetime, before quitting cold turkey by the time he was 34. Hagman’s decision to quit smoking has quite the story attached to it. He says that while filming a movie in Italy he and his wife Maj Axelsson went to get chest X-rays and Hagman received some news that was a huge reality check.
“The doctor brought the pictures back. Maj's was clear; mine had about 30 arrows in it,” Hagman told People in 1995. “The doctor, who spoke only Italian, read the report. I didn't understand a word he said, so in frustration he drew his hand across his throat. I knew he meant, "Larry, if you keep smoking, you will die," and so I fainted. Right on the floor. I hurt my head, started bleeding. But I quit smoking.”
Dr. Elizabeth Comen explains how lifestyle contributes to cancer risk
What is AML?
AML is a generally rare cancer, but the most common leukemia in adults. This disease affects the bone marrow (the spongy tissue inside of your bones) and is caused by DNA damage to the cells in your bone marrow. This tissue consists of three types of cells: white, red, and platelets. White blood cells fight infections as part of the immune system, red blood cells carry oxygen to the tissue, and platelets help stop excessive bleeding. If these cells experience DNA damage, it causes an over production of white blood cells.
Symptoms of AML typically include shortness of breath, decreased exercise tolerance, unexplained bruising, or infections. However, what makes AML a particularly tricky disease is that many of these symptoms can mirror just a common cold, or some patients may not exhibit symptoms at all.
Related: Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML)An Overview of Initial Treatment
"Most of the time, this comes as an unwelcome surprise diagnosis," Dr. Gail Roboz, a medical oncologist at Weill Cornell Medicine with expertise in acute myeloid leukemia, tells SurvivorNet. "Often, patients have no idea that leukemia is even anywhere on the radar. Sometimes patients actually have no symptoms at all and may be diagnosed in the course of a completely routine evaluation."
Dr. Mikkael Sekeres breaks down acute myeloid leukemia
Learn more about SurvivorNet's rigorous medical review process.