A Beloved TV Star
- Happy Days star Erin Moran, who played Joanie on the classic ’70s show with actors Henry Winkler, Scott Baio, and Ron Howard, died four years ago at age 56 due to complications from stage 4 throat cancer.
- The confusion and assumptions over Moran’s history of substance abuse prompted Moran’s husband to share details of the troubled star’s cancer in an open letter.
- Leading experts tell SurvivorNet about the risk factors for throat cancer: tobacco, alcohol and HPV, a sexually transmitted virus that causes the majority of throat cancers.
When the tragic news broke of the beloved TV star’s death in April 2017, many assumed it substance abuse related, since Moran had a history, but the coroner confirmed stage 4 cancer was the cause of death. According to Moran’s husband of 24 years, Steve Fleischmann, she discovered that she had squamous cell carcinoma of the throat (the most common type, which affects the cells in the lining of the throat) in December 2016. By February, after chemotherapy and radiation treatment, she could no longer speak, eat or drink and had a feeding tube. The Los Angeles-born star was living in Indiana at the end of her life.
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Before the diagnosis, Fleischmann and Moran found droplets of blood on Moran’s pillow, and she thought she had bitten her tongue during the night. But they kept noticing more blood. Fleischmann inspected her throat, and they considered that it could be tonsillitis. They went to an ENT (Ear, Nose and Throat doctor) who biopsied the area, and it was cancer.
‘Happy Days’ co-stars Henry “The Fonz” Winkler and Ron Howard had paid tribute to their former cast mate.
OH Erin… now you will finally have the peace you wanted so badly here on earth …Rest In It serenely now.. too soon
Henry Winkler (@hwinkler4real) April 23, 2017
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Such sad sad news. RIP Erin. I’ll always choose to remember you on our show making scenes better, getting laughs and lighting up tv screens. https://t.co/8HmdL0JKlf
Ron Howard (@RealRonHoward) April 23, 2017
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Throat Cancer Causes
Although we cannot speculate on what may have led to Moran's throat cancer diagnosis, it is important to stay educated on the risk factors.
Throat cancer can sometimes be caused by tobacco and alcohol use, and also by the human papilloma virus, or HPV, which is usually associated with women and can be a cause of cervical cancer. However, this sexually transmitted infection can also affect men, and the virus has been proven to cause throat cancer.
Related: Majority of Throat Cancer Diagnoses Are Caused by HPV Here's What You Need to Know
Dr. Jessica Geiger of the Cleveland Clinic Cancer Center previously told SurvivorNet that both men and women can get cancer from HPV. "The strains of HPV that cause cervical cancer are the same strains of HPV that cause throat cancer.”
Related: Should Children as Young as 9-Years-Old Get The HPV Vaccine?
HPV-related throat cancers are generally very responsive to a combination of radiation and chemotherapy treatments. "The cure rates for people who have HPV-related disease are a lot higher than those who have tobacco-related throat cancer,” Dr. Geiger said.
Get the Facts What Do We Know About HPV-Linked Throat Cancer?
Alcohol and Cancer
Although the data is mixed on whether alcohol directly causes cancer, many top doctors believe that it is a significant risk factor. Plus, people who drink or party heavily may be more likely to miss key symptoms or they may be more likely to put off going to the doctor.
“For women, anything over a half a glass or a glass a day is probably not helping your overall health,” Dr. Heather Yeo from Weill Cornell Medical Center tells SurvivorNet. “For men, they can probably go one to two glasses before they start seeing health effects."
Related: 6 Tips to Help You Avoid Alcohol When Faced With Stress of a Cancer Diagnosis
“Moderation is key,” she adds.
Is Alcohol a Major Risk Factor For Cancer?
Learn more about SurvivorNet's rigorous medical review process.
