Tucci Talks Food with Roker
- Actor and author Stanley Tucci appeared on TODAY this week and spoke with cancer survivor Al Roker about how cancer impacted his experience of food.
- The actor underwent chemotherapy and radiation after a tumor was discovered on his tongue.
- Tucci lost his first wife to breast cancer in 2009.
Tucci also tells Roker, “My sense of taste and smell are almost heightened and more than they were before, oddly enough.”
For people who are rediscovering the pleasures of eating after beating cancer or while going through it check out resources specifically designed for people fighting cancer or recovering from cancer.
Someone who deeply appreciated food and the pleasures of eating was Fatima Ali from Bravo's Top Chef. She passed at age 29 in 2019 from Ewing's Sarcoma, a cancer that attacks the bones. Ali began treatment in 2017, and she met with SurvivorNet to discuss doing a segment on cooking for people going through cancer treatment. But Ali’s condition worsened, which propelled her even more to focus on her dreams of exploring the best foods in the world. Many people find that a cancer diagnosis clarifies their priorities for them.
Tucci, a food lover like Ali, also lost his first wife, Kathryn "Kate" Spath-Tucci, to breast cancer in 2009.
Tucci’s Tongue Cancer Journey
Tucci’s cancer was discovered via the tumor found on his tongue. He had radiation and chemotherapy to treat his cancer. Tongue cancer which is often categorized as a "head and neck cancer" is associated with the human papillomavirus (HPV).
The HPV vaccine prevents HPV-related cancers and can be administered starting as young as 9 years old. "We recommend strongly that children are vaccinated against HPV to prevent cervical cancer, but also to prevent head and neck cancer," Dr. Jessica Geiger, a medical oncologist at Cleveland Clinic Cancer Center, tells SurvivorNet in an earlier interview.
"Now the key with the vaccine is that you received the vaccine before you ever reach sexual debut or have sexual encounters. So that's why these vaccines are approved for young children ages 9, 10, 11 years old, up to 26."
Dr. Jessica Geiger on HPV in Men
Tucci’s Breast Cancer Cancer Loss
Tucci's first wife, Kate, passed away from breast cancer in 2009 at the too-young age of 47. The two have two children together.
In an interview with CBS Sunday Morning, Tucci says of his loss, "It's still hard after 11 years. It's still hard. And it will always be hard. But you can't let it… and she would never want any of us to ever wallow in that grief and let it take over our lives. She would never want that. She wasn't like that."
Losing a spouse to cancer is devastating and heartbreaking. "You never stop grieving," Tucci says. However, even amid grief, there's love and joy to be found again.
In 2012, Tucci married for a second time to English literary agent Felicity Blunt. Tucci's wife is the sister of actress Emily Blunt, who starred in The Devil Wears Prada alongside Tucci. They have two children together.
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