Leaving a Legacy After Cancer
- David Bowie documentary Moonage Daydreamauthorized by the late icon’s estatehas a premiere date at the prestigious Cannes Film Festival next month.
- The documentary, described as more of “a cinematic experience,” was created from thousands of hours of the musical genius’s life footage; The English singer-songwriter died in 2016 from liver cancer.
- Liver disease is often associated with alcoholism. Bowie was open about his own alcohol abuse, but there is no way to prove for sure that it led to cancer. When it comes to alcohol's influence on cancer risk, the data is mixed, but as usual, experts agree that moderation is key.
Variety first broke the exclusive of the forthcoming project, and reported that the film is "neither documentary nor biography, but an immersive cinematic experience built, in part, upon thousands of hours of never before seen material," including concert footage. Bonus!
Read MoreDavid Bowie’s Cancer Battle
Bowie passed away in 2016 at the age of 69. The English singer-songwriterwho wrote over 400 songs throughout his careerwas diagnosed with liver cancer in 2014 and fought the disease for 18 months.
Known as a bit of a reclusemainly due to his nearly God-like level of famethe superstar kept his diagnosis relatively quiet and out of the public eye, but his dedication to his music never wavered.
By the time of his death, Bowie's liver cancer had reportedly spread throughout his body.
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The influential talent is survived by his widow, fashion model Iman, age 66, who was the love of his life. The couple had one daughter together, Alexandria Zahra Jones. Bowie had one other child from his previous marriage to Angela BowieBritish film director and producer Duncan Jones.
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Symptoms of this disease may include abdominal pain, unexplained weight loss, decrease or loss of appetite, fatigue, nausea, and jaundice.
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Liver cancer affects approximately 42,000 Americans per year, according to the American Cancer Society (ACS). Causes of this disease may include excessive alcohol consumption or a family history of liver cancer.
Alcohol and Liver Cancer Risk
Liver disease is often associated with alcoholism. David Bowie was quite open about his own drug and alcohol abuse.
“It took me a long time to reach the bottom and it went through various stages. I went from drugs into an alcohol stage,” he admitted in a 1993 interview with the LA Times. “For a while, one feels, ‘Ah, I've kicked drugs,’ but what I discovered was I had another addiction instead.”
Related: Warning to Drinkers: 'Strong Link' Found Between Alcohol and Deadly Cancers
There is no way to prove for sure that alcoholism led to Bowie’s liver cancer. When it comes to alcohol's influence on cancer risk, the data is mixed. Colorectal surgeon Dr. Heather Yeo from Weill Cornell Medicine told SurvivorNet that she does believe high levels of alcohol can predispose people to certain types of cancerincluding pancreatic, liver, and colon.
Does Alcohol Impact the Risks for Colon, Liver, and Other Cancers?
Dr. Yeo expressed that the key with alcohol is moderation. Her view is "for women, anything over a half a glass or a glass a day is probably not helping your overall health.” For men, “they can probably go one to two glasses before they start seeing health effects.”
Learn more about SurvivorNet's rigorous medical review process.