Actor Pierce Brosnan, 68, Celebrates His Son’s Birthday; The Father and Son Have Both Suffered Tremendous Loss from Ovarian Cancer over the Years

“Happy birthday Sean, we have traveled far together my dear son,” he wrote in the caption. “I am so proud of the man and father you have become and the son that I hold in my heart always. Love, Dad”

They’ve “traveled far” but, unfortunately, the father and son have suffered a lot.  Brosnan’s first wife and Sean’s mother, Cassandra, died of ovarian cancer in 1991 when she was just 43. She was diagnosed in the late ’80s and faced four hard years of treatment which included eight surgeries and over a year of chemotherapy. While she was alive, Brosnan’s family consisted of two children, Charlotte and Christopher, from Cassie's previous marriage, and one son Cassie and Pierce shared, Sean.

Then Charlotte lost her own battle with the same disease at the age of 41. Sadly, she likely carried a genetic predisposition to the disease from her mother. But despite all the loss, Brosnan always seems to keep his family close to his heart.

Understanding Ovarian Cancer

Ovarian cancer is when the ovaries which produce the sex hormone, estrogen, as well as eggs become cancerous. Women have two ovaries, one on either side of the uterus.

The fallopian tube, which brings the egg from the ovary to the uterus for fertilization, is actually where many ovarian cancers begin. First, a few cancerous cells develop on the fallopian tubes, then these cells stick to the ovaries as the fallopian tubes brush over the ovary. From there, the cancerous cells grow to form a tumor.

Taking Control of Your Ovarian Cancer Risk

Dr. Beth Karlan, a gynecologic oncologist at UCLA Medical Center, says the term ovarian cancer refers to a number of different tumors that reside in the ovary. She also says that ovarian cancer can be difficult to recognize as its symptoms may be subtle.

"Ovarian cancer does not have any specific symptoms," Karlan said in an earlier interview with SurvivorNet. "It's often referred to as the cancer that whispers, in that it has symptoms that are really very vague…and nothing that may bring your attention directly to the ovaries."

Ovarian Cancer: The Cancer That Whispers

Dr. Karlan advises women to keep an eye out for a variety of possible symptoms.

"The symptoms include things like feeling full earlier than you usually would when your appetite is strong," she said. "Feeling bloated," is another symptom, she added. "Some changes in your bowel habits. Some pain in the pelvis. These are symptoms women may have every month. These are not very specific. But what we've found from multiple studies, it's this constellation of symptoms."

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