Thriving Years After Battling Cancer
- Kathy Bates, 77, remains a commanding presence on screen, but her Oscar-winning role as Annie Wilkes in Misery (1990) remains one of Hollywood’s most chilling performances 35 years later.
- Bates was diagnosed with stage 1 ovarian cancer in 2003. She underwent surgery and chemotherapy while continuing to work, describing the experience as physically and emotionally grueling.
- Nearly a decade later, in 2012, she faced stage 2 breast cancer, undergoing a double mastectomy and removal of 19 lymph nodes, which led to lasting pain and lymphedema, a chronic swelling condition that often follows lymph node removal.
- According to Dr. Elizabeth Comen, a medical oncologist at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, the first step in treating early-stage breast cancer is usually surgery to remove the cancer.
- However, treatment isn’t one-size-fits-all. Factors like age, tumor size, family history, and personal preference may influence whether radiation is needed or if a patient chooses a more aggressive approach, such as a mastectomy—removal of the entire breast.
- Ovarian cancer often goes undetected in its early stages due to vague symptoms like bloating, pelvic pain, and changes in bowel habits. Many cases begin in the fallopian tubes, with cancerous cells eventually spreading to the ovaries.
- Ovarian cancer recurrence happens in “almost 25 percent of cases with early-stage diseases and in more than 80 percent with more advanced stages,” according to research published in the Gland Surgery medical journal. After ovarian cancer patients complete initial treatment, maintenance therapy may be recommended to try to delay possible recurrence.
Veteran actress and cancer survivor Kathy Bates, 77, continues to command the screen today as Madeline Matlock, a sharp-witted lawyer. However, it was her unforgettable role in the debut of “Misery” on November 30, 1990, that cemented her place in Hollywood. Her chilling portrayal of Annie Wilkes still sends a chill down the spines of longtime fans today.
On the film’s 35th anniversary, Bates’ performance as the seemingly devoted nurse who rescues a famous author after a car crash remains as haunting as ever. What begins as care quickly spirals into captivity, obsession, and psychological torment.
Read MoreThe hobbling scene in Misery (1990) is still one of the most brutal, stomach-dropping moments in cinema. No gore needed, just Kathy Bates’ calm voice, a block of wood, and the sound design doing the rest. Pure psychological torture on film.
— cinesthetic. (@TheCinesthetic) November 22, 2025
pic.twitter.com/M38CRxgnGw https://t.co/RkzInee4ts
“Kathy Bates’ performance truly elevates that scene, so intense without relying on gore,” wrote X user Jaxx.
“Absolutely—a masterclass in tension and horror without showing anything graphic. Bates’ chilling calmness makes it unforgettable and terrifying in the most haunting way. One of those moments where less is definitely more,” added X user Comrade.
The role earned Bates the Academy Award for Best Actress, according to IMDB, a television and movie resource site.
Bates’ Bouts With Cancer Emerged Years Later
More than a decade after “Misery” terrified audiences, Kathy Bates faced a battle off-screen that was just as life-altering. In 2003, she was diagnosed with stage 1 ovarian cancer—a time she later described to People as anything but “happy.”
Ovarian cancer encompasses a range of tumors that develop in the ovaries, often beginning in the fallopian tubes. As cancerous cells shed and attach to the ovaries, they can grow into tumors. Researchers have identified more than 30 types of ovarian cancer, but three are the most common:
- Epithelial tumors: Representing about 90% of cases, these form on the ovary’s outer layer. While many are benign, malignant forms can spread quickly before detection.
- Stromal tumors: Rare growths that arise in the connective tissue, producing estrogen and progesterone.
- Germ cell tumors: Found in egg-producing cells, these typically affect younger women and often impact only one ovary. Encouragingly, most germ cell cancers are highly curable.
Reflecting on her diagnosis in an interview with SurvivorNet, Bates admitted it “knocked the stuffing out of me.” Fortunately, doctors caught it just before it spread. She underwent surgery and chemotherapy while simultaneously working on the 2004 film “Little Black Book,” a feat she described as a grueling experience.
Chemotherapy’s side effects went beyond nausea and fatigue; Bates recalled the difficulty of coming off steroids: “It was like detoxing. I was shaking, I couldn’t talk, and I remember I had to go do a voiceover, and it was just so, so difficult.”
Nearly a decade later, in 2012, Bates faced another devastating diagnosis: stage 2 breast cancer.
Early-stage breast cancer refers to cancer that is typically smaller in size and confined to the breast and surrounding tissue. As is the case in most cancers, when the disease is caught in its earlier stages, there is a higher chance of a cure.
Speaking on the Los Angeles Times’ The Envelope podcast, she revealed that the pain from breast cancer far surpassed her ovarian cancer experience.
Treatment required a double mastectomy (removal of both breasts) and the removal of 19 lymph nodes, leaving her with lasting physical challenges. She chose not to undergo reconstruction, explaining, “At the age I was, I thought, you know, I really don’t wanna go through that.”
A double mastectomy is a procedure that removes both breasts. Some women choose this procedure to reduce their risk of cancer, especially if they have a family history of cancer or possess the BRCA1 and BRCA2 gene mutation, which also increases their risk for breast and ovarian cancer.
WATCH: Dr. Elisa Port explains what happens during a double mastectomy.
Making the decision to undergo a mastectomy can be an emotional experience for many women facing breast cancer. While the surgery itself may only take a few hours, the changes can be difficult to adjust to mentally.
“A double mastectomy typically takes about two hours for the cancer part of the operation, the removal of the tissue,” Dr. Elisa Port, Chief of Breast Surgery at Mount Sinai Health System, tells SurvivorNet. “The real length, the total length of the surgery, can often depend on what type of reconstruction [a patient] has.”
Dr. Port added that most women opt to have some sort of reconstruction. The length of these surgeries can vary greatly. When implants are used, the procedure can take two to three hours (so the total surgery time would be around five hours). There is also the option to take one’s own tissue (usually from the belly area) and transfer it into the breast area during reconstruction.
WATCH: Regaining your sense of self after reconstruction.
The surgery also led to lymphedema, a chronic swelling condition that often follows lymph node removal. Bates admitted the toll was crushing: “I was bitter, I was depressed. I thought my career was over. I thought, ‘There’s no way, I’m done, everything is done.’”
Thankfully, her story didn’t end there. With treatment, healing, and sheer resilience, Bates reclaimed her career and her life. Today, she stands not only as an Academy Award–winning actress but also as a two-time cancer survivor—proof of her strength both on and off the screen.
Helping Patients Understand Treatment Options for Ovarian Cancer
- Advances in Ovarian Cancer Treatment
- An Extraordinary New Treatment Option for Ovarian Cancer: PARP Inhibitors
- ‘Genetic Testing Saved My Life’ — Joanna Gutermuth’s Ovarian Cancer Story
- “You Are Your Own Best Advocate” – Recognizing the Subtle Symptoms of Ovarian Cancer
- ‘An Important Step Forward’: New Drug Combo Shows Promise For The Treatment of Some Ovarian Cancer
When to Screen for Breast Cancer
The medical community has a broad consensus that women should have annual mammograms between the ages of 45 and 54. However, an independent panel of experts called the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) is saying that women should now start getting mammograms every other year at the age of 40, suggesting that this lowered age for breast cancer screening could save 19% more lives.
The American Cancer Society recommends getting a mammogram every other year for women 55 and older. However, women in this age group who want added reassurance can still get annual mammograms.
WATCH: Mammograms are still the best tool for detecting breast cancer.
Women with a strong family history of breast cancer, a genetic mutation known to increase the risk of breast cancer, such as a BRCA gene mutation, or a medical history, including chest radiation therapy before the age of 30, are considered at higher risk for breast cancer.
Experiencing menstruation at an early age (before 12) or having dense breasts can also put you into a high-risk category. If you are at a higher risk of developing breast cancer, you should begin screening earlier.
Regular Self-Exams Are Helpful In Between Mammograms
A self-breast exam is an easy way to monitor your breasts for abnormalities. It involves feeling the breast for swelling, bulging, or changes in the shape of the breast or nipple.
WATCH: How to perform a self-exam.
Checking for signs of redness, rashes, or discharge is also part of this exam. If anything is found that is concerning, you should contact your doctor. It’s important to note that self-exams should be done with regular mammograms.
Better Understanding Ovarian Cancer
Ovarian cancer has been called the “cancer that whispers” because women often don’t experience symptoms until their cancer has already reached its late stages. The symptoms that do appear at first are hard to identify as cancer.
WATCH: Ovarian cancer’s subtle symptoms.
“Ovarian cancer does not have any specific symptoms,” Dr. Beth Karlan, a gynecologic oncologist at UCLA Medical Center, told SurvivorNet.
The symptoms of ovarian cancer may include the following, according to SurvivorNet experts.
- A feeling of bloating or fullness
- Pain in the pelvis or abdomen
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Changes in bowel habits
The standard of care for ovarian cancer patients is chemotherapy, which helps many patients reach remission.
With recurrence a strong possibility for this disease, especially in the later stages of ovarian cancer, certain drug treatments to deal with it are giving many women hope.
Maintenance therapy is continued treatment after the patient finishes their initial treatment. After an ovarian cancer patient completes a round of treatments — such as surgery and chemotherapy — her doctor may recommend some form of maintenance therapy to try and delay possible recurrence. Maintenance therapy can involve taking an oral pill called a PARP inhibitor every day after chemotherapy and can keep cancer in remission longer.
Genetic testing helps doctors determine the best maintenance therapy.
WATCH: How your ovarian cancer responds to certain types of chemotherapies guides your future treatments.
The type of treatment recommended for recurrence can depend on several factors:
- The period within which the cancer recurred
- The kind of chemotherapy the woman underwent in the past
- Side effects that came as a result of past treatments
- The length of time between the last treatment the woman underwent and the recurrence
- The specific mutations and molecular features of your cancer
Clinical trials are an option for women facing ovarian cancer with a high probability of recurrence. If you fall into this category, ask your doctor about possible clinical trial eligibility. Clinical trials help doctors better understand cancer and discover more effective treatment methods. They also allow patients to try a treatment before it’s approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which can potentially be life-changing.
WATCH: Clinical trials can be life-saving.
Despite the great benefits of clinical trials, they also come with risks (like potential side effects that are not fully understood yet). People interested in participating in clinical trials must first talk with their doctor to see if they would be a good fit.
Determining the probability that a woman’s cancer will recur depends on the stage at which they were initially diagnosed. According to most data:
- Women with stage 1 ovarian cancer have a 10 percent chance of recurrence.
- Women in stage 2 have a 30 percent chance of recurrence.
- Women in stage 3 have a 70 to 90 percent chance of recurrence.
- Women in stage 4 have a 90 to 95 percent chance of recurrence.
Questions for Your Doctor
If you have been diagnosed with ovarian cancer and need guidance to further educate yourself on the disease and treatment, consider these questions for your doctor.
- What type of ovarian cancer do I have?
- What stage is my cancer in?
- Do you recommend I get genetic testing for any gene mutations, such as the BRCA gene mutation?
- What initial treatment options do you recommend?
- What are the possible side effects of the recommended treatment, and how can they be coped with?
- Will insurance help cover my recommended treatment
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