‘Star Trek’ Actor William Shatner, 95, Says the ‘Magic of Medicine Dealing With Cancer and Age’ Helped Him Through Advanced Skin Cancer While Comforting Daughter Through Breast Cancer

“There’s this connection between my daughter and me where we can talk about how to live longer,” Shatner told entertainment outlet “On The Red Carpet.”

Shatner first became a household name as Captain Kirk in the late 1960s and has remained a cultural fixture for decades, starring in multiple Star Trek projects and hosting numerous shows.

“My daughter, who had breast cancer, Stage 4, is cured because of the luck of finding the doctor whose chemicals he invented 10 years ago were directly applied to this particular cancer. So, she got through her cancer,” Shatner said.

Dr. Elizabeth Comen, a medical oncologist from the Memorial Sloan Cancer Center, explains that metastatic breast cancer means that the breast cancer is “living in another part of your body. That can be in the liver, the bone, the lungs, or potentially even the brain.”

Gretsch’s treatment involved chemotherapy, targeted therapy, surgery, and radiation after the cancer spread to her lymph nodes. Shatner praised modern medicine for giving his daughter, a mother of two, a fighting chance.

He himself benefited from advances in immunotherapy, a cancer treatment in which the patient’s own immune system is reengineered to attack cancer cells during his battle with melanoma.

Shatner also once faced a prostate cancer scare when he experienced elevated prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels, which can signal prostate cancer. However, upon further review, Shatner’s elevated levels were caused by testosterone supplements he had been taking.

Once he discontinued the supplements, his PSA levels returned to normal, and further testing confirmed he did not have cancer.

With his own history of cancer, Shatner understood what patients need emotionally and practically, and he became a key part of his daughter’s support system throughout her grueling treatment.

‘I Wanted to Take the Least Traumatic Route’

Metastatic breast cancer means cancer cells have spread from the breast to other parts of the body, which may include the bones, liver, lungs, brain, and beyond.

Breast cancer spreads through the bloodstream or lymphatic system. The blood carries cancer cells to different body parts, where they grow as new tumors.

As the cancer spreads to other body parts, patients may experience additional symptoms depending on where the cancer has spread. Examples include:

• Bones: Severe bone pain or fractures
• Lungs: Difficulty breathing, chest pain, new cough
• Liver: Yellowing of the skin (jaundice), abdominal pain, nausea, and/or vomiting
• Brain: Headaches, memory loss, changes in vision, seizures

WATCH: Treatment options for metastatic breast cancer.

Although stage 4 breast cancer is not curable, several treatment options exist that can extend the lives of patients. Treatment options depend on the stage, type of primary breast cancer, and whether hormone receptors are positive.

Treatment can include a combination of:

• Chemotherapy: Oral or IV medications that are toxic to tumor cells
• Hormonal therapies: Drugs that lower estrogen levels or block estrogen receptors, preventing the cancer cells from growing
• Targeted therapies: Drugs that target your tumor’s specific gene mutations
• Immunotherapy: Medications that stimulate your immune system to recognize and attack cancer cells
• Radiation: The use of high-energy rays to kill tumor cells and shrink tumors
• Surgery: To remove a cancerous tumor or lymph nodes (uncommon with stage IV; more common in stages I, II, and III)
• Clinical trials: Studies of new medications, treatments, and other therapies offer hope for better outcomes.

Gretsch’s cancer journey began like many breast cancer patients when a bump or lump emerged on her breast. She explained to UCLA Health that she had stayed on top of her health and regular screenings. Since she had dense breasts, mammograms were paramount for her.

Women with dense breasts may not know they have it based on feeling alone. Breast density is determined by its appearance on a mammogram.

Dr. Connie Lehman, the chief of the Breast Imaging Division at Massachusetts General Hospital, explains to SurvivorNet that fatty breast tissue appears gray on an X-ray. Conversely, dense breast structures appear white during an X-ray.

Cancers also appear white on an X-ray, meaning the dense breast structures can mask the possibility of cancer. Luckily, advanced mammograms exist to help doctors navigate this obstacle.

WATCH: 3D Mammograms explained.

“Digital mammography, it turns out, significantly improves the quality of the mammogram…It’s 3D or tomosynthesis mammography,” Dr. Lehman explains.

After observing the lump in her breast in the summer of 2022, she went to see her doctor, and tests helped reveal she had metastatic breast cancer that spread to her lymph nodes in her chest.

She explained, while going over treatment options with her care team, that her north star was exploiting the “least traumatic route.”

“I felt like I had so much physical trauma that I wanted to take the least traumatic route that had the least amount of things to follow up on,” Melanie said to UCLA Health.

Gretsch’s treatment regimen included chemotherapy, HER2-positive targeted therapy, a double mastectomy (a surgery that removes both breasts) and 25 rounds of radiation.

Women who are diagnosed with HER2-positive breast cancer have high levels of the HER2 protein on the outside of their cancer cells.

According to Dr. Comen, there are also several drugs that have improved overall survival for patients with HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer.

WATCH: Treating HER2 Positive Breast Cancer

“For women who unfortunately have HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer, there are also a number of different ways that we can treat these cancers,” Dr. Comen explained.

“There is a medication called pertuzumab that we can use, also T-DM1. These are HER2-directed therapies that have improved survival of women living with breast cancer,” Dr. Comen added.

A double mastectomy is a procedure in which both breasts are removed to get rid of cancer. The procedure may also be performed as a preventative measure for women who are at a very high risk of developing breast cancer.

“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.”

Although most women choose to have breast reconstruction so their chest feels more like it did before their diagnosis, Gretsch chose to bypass reconstruction.

“I don’t love that I have no breasts,” she said. “I don’t love that when getting dressed, it’s always a consideration of what it looks like on me. It does feel like it takes some femininity away. It makes me sad sometimes, but I’m really glad to be alive,” Gretsch said.

Although the treatments proved effective, Gretsch explains they didn’t come easy.

“You are both nauseous and starving at the same time,” she said. “You know you need to eat and you’re shaking because you need to eat and yet everything tastes like vomit,” Gretsch said of the treatment side effects.

What to Expect During Chemotherapy for Breast Cancer

Chemotherapy is an effective tool for oncologists to help treat cancer by stopping cancerous cells from growing, dividing, and spreading to other organs. Chemo works by traveling through the bloodstream, killing cancerous cells. However, healthy cells are also impacted in the process, leading to side effects.

Patients almost universally experience fatigue, often alongside gastrointestinal side effects, such as nausea. Doctors have many effective medications to combat chemo-induced nausea. “But mitigating that fatigue often depends on the patient,” says Dr. Renata Urban, a gynecologic oncologist at the University of Washington in Seattle.

“Neuropathy is probably one of the most challenging side effects,” says Dr. Urban.

Neuropathy results from damage to the peripheral nerves. It usually resolves after chemotherapy treatment, but sometimes symptoms can persist.

While it’s typically characterized by numbness or a pins-and-needles sensation in the hands and feet, neuropathy can have several different symptoms, including:

• Weakness in the hands or feet
• Stabbing or burning pain in the hands or feet
• Difficulty gripping, such as when holding a fork
• Difficulty with fine motor skills, such as writing or buttoning a shirt

Nausea and vomiting are common side effects of chemotherapy. When chemotherapy affects the rapidly dividing cells in the lining of the stomach, the resulting cellular havoc in the gastrointestinal tract can lead to side effects such as nausea and vomiting. However, doctors can help patients mitigate the hit with various medications before, during, and after treatment.

“Part of the chemotherapy prescription includes a set regimen of anti-nausea medications,” says Dr. Urban. “We also ensure that patients have medications at home that they can use should they develop nausea after treatment.”

Hair loss is another side effect of chemotherapy.

WATCH: Coping with hair loss.

“For cancer patients, losing one’s hair can be unbelievably stressful. To start with, the dread of losing one’s hair can lead to some sleepless nights and feelings of anxiety,” Dr. Samantha Boardman, a New York-based psychiatrist and author, told SurvivorNet.

Chemotherapy can cause hair loss. It usually begins about three to four weeks after chemotherapy and continues throughout treatment.

It happens because this treatment targets quickly dividing cells throughout the body. That includes cancer cells but also hair cells.

Most patients can expect regrowth four to six weeks after treatment. However, it is possible that when your hair grows back, you may notice some changes in its color and texture.

Tips for Navigating Chemo Side Effects

When dealing with fatigue, doctors don’t have an arsenal of weapons to combat fatigue in terms of prescription medications. However, you can do several things to help minimize the hit and restore your energy.

• Exercise: While it may be counterintuitive, physical activity can help alleviate side effects, especially fatigue. “Although ovarian cancer is not common, we often draw upon the experience of patients with breast cancer and colon cancer, who have shown that physical activity can not only improve quality of life but may also have beneficial impacts on cancer outcomes,” Dr. Urban says.
• Eat well: Even though nausea may interfere with your ability to eat a healthy diet, it’s essential to ensure you’re eating appropriately, getting enough protein, and not losing weight. Not only will nourishing your body support your recovery, but it may also help you feel more energized.
• Sleep: Want to mitigate fatigue? Be sure to maintain your regular sleep-wake cycle while on treatment. Sticking to a set sleep schedule helps reduce fatigue by ensuring enough hours for your body to heal and restore itself each night. It may also help you recover more quickly by keeping energy levels high during the daytime.

Treating Neuropathy Symptoms

Doctors have several strategies for helping patients deal with this side effect. Once a patient begins experiencing the symptoms of neuropathy, they’ll be carefully monitored to make sure it doesn’t get worse. Before each chemotherapy infusion, the attending oncologist will assess whether the symptoms have progressed. If the symptoms worsen, they may adjust the dose or delay treatment. They may also try switching to another chemotherapy drug.

How to Get a Handle on Nausea

Most of these anti-nausea medications last for more than eight hours. One of the infusions commonly used reduces the degree of nausea for up to three days.

Complementary approaches may also be helpful. A few favorites:

• Ginger: Studies consistently show that ginger helps alleviate chemotherapy-induced nausea. The powerful herb appears to have an anti-spasmodic effect on the gut. Not a fan of raw ginger? Suck on ginger candy, sip ginger ale, or make a steaming cup of ginger tea.
• Pressure bracelets: at your local pharmacy, these bracelets provide consistent pressure on a particular acupressure point on the wrist to reduce nausea.
• Deep breathing: Moving air in and out of your lungs with a few deep breaths can help relieve nausea, particularly if you pair deep breathing exercises with meditation. It can also help you relax and release stress and anxiety.

WATCH: Managing chemo side effects.

Coping with Hair Loss

If losing your hair is a concern for you before cancer treatment, know you have options like wigs, hats, wraps, and scarves, among other things.

Another option that can minimize hair loss is cryotherapy, “just a fancy way of saying cold therapy,” says Dr. Urban.

Cryotherapy involves wearing cold caps or special cooling caps before, during, and after each chemotherapy treatment.

Radiation Therapy: A Powerful Tool with Long-Term Considerations

Radiation therapy—using high-energy rays to destroy cancer cells—is a common follow-up to breast cancer surgery, especially for patients who choose a lumpectomy over a mastectomy. Its goal: reduce the risk of recurrence by targeting any lingering cancer cells in the breast or surrounding tissue.

While effective, radiation can come with side effects, both immediate and delayed. Common symptoms include:

• Fatigue
• Swelling
• Scar tissue
• Shortness of breath

RELATED: Cancer Patients With Dark Skin At Increased Risk of Painful Radiation Side Effects, New Research Says

One of the more serious concerns involves the heart, which can unintentionally absorb radiation due to its proximity to the breast.

“When the radiation is delivered, unfortunately, the heart happens to be somewhere very near to where they have their breast cancer, and it becomes an innocent bystander absorbing some of the radiation,” explained Dr. Jean-Bernard Durand to SurvivorNet.

This exposure can lead to complications such as fatigue, shortness of breath, and even heart failure—sometimes surfacing decades after treatment.

“We make it a point to see them on a regular basis so that we can catch these things very early and treat them,” Dr. Durand added.

Even advanced techniques like proton therapy, which aim to minimize damage to healthy tissue, aren’t immune to side effects. Fatigue remains a common complaint, and the risk of long-term injury still exists.

“Radiation is a form of energy… and when we give radiation, it has the ability to scatter,” Dr. Durand said. “Even though we may target one particular area, that scattering of energy can cause injury to the local surrounding structures, including the heart.”

Over time, this injury can lead to the development of scar tissue within the heart muscle, its electrical system, and blood supply.

“We believe it is what causes all the injury that ultimately leads to the symptoms,” he explained.

For survivors, this underscores the importance of ongoing monitoring and open conversations with care teams.

Dr. Chirag Shah is the Director of Breast Radiation Oncology and Director of Clinical Research in the Department of Radiation Oncology at the Cleveland Clinic. He explains that radiation treatment continues to evolve, with ongoing debates among experts about how to reduce side effects while optimizing outcomes. He outlined three key areas of discussion:

• Whole vs. Partial Breast Radiation: Shortening treatment duration and minimizing side effects are promising, though long-term data are still emerging.
• Identifying Patients Who May Not Need Radiation: Some individuals may not benefit from radiation, and omitting it could reduce unnecessary risks.
• Technique Optimization: Advancements in delivery methods aim to improve effectiveness while limiting harm to healthy tissue.

“I think the first debate that we have is whole breast radiation versus partial breast radiation and the idea of reducing duration of treatment and reducing side effects for patients, albeit with less than 10 years’ worth of long-term data,” Dr. Shah explained to SurvivorNet.

The Cancer Treatment, Immunotherapy, Gave Shatner a Fighting Chance Against Aggressive Skin Cancer

“I noticed a lump on the side of my right ear,” Shatner said to Healio while describing how he first discovered early signs of skin cancer.

Shatner didn’t waste much time getting to his doctor so he could get the strange lump examined. To his surprise, it turned out to be stage 4 melanoma.

Melanoma starts in the same cells that give your skin, hair, and eyes their color. Only in melanoma do the cells change in a way that allows them to spread to other organs.

While it’s mostly found on areas of your skin exposed to the sun, it can also develop in areas that rarely receive sun rays. These areas may include the palms of your hands, soles of your feet, your eyes, inside your mouth, and under your nails.

Shatner says his doctor sat him down to explain the weight of his diagnosis and lay out a treatment plan, which included immunotherapy.

“The immunotherapy aspect of my treatment kind of knocks you out. You are fighting fatigue a lot. Yet, here I am,” Shatner explained after fully recovering from treatment.

WATCH: What Increases Your Risk for Melanoma?

“When immunotherapy came on the market, it was such an exciting time for everyone involved in the care of melanoma… it went from this scary, unmanageable cancer with no treatments to one that could potentially have a long-lasting result,” explained Dr. Cecilia Larocca, dermatologist at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, in an interview with SurvivorNet.

How Immunotherapy Helped Shatner Against Melanoma

Surgery remains one of the most common and effective treatments for melanoma.

For many early-stage cases, surgery alone can be curative. In more advanced situations, however, doctors often recommend follow-up therapies to strengthen results and lower the chance of the cancer returning. Adjuvant therapy refers to treatments given after surgery to boost results and lower the chance of melanoma returning. FDA-approved options for melanoma include:

• Pembrolizumab (Keytruda) – This medication is an immunotherapy that helps your immune system attack and kill cancer cells. It is a PD1 inhibitor drug that works by blocking the PD1 pathway used by cancer cells to hide from the immune system.
• Nivolumab (Opdivo) – Another form of immunotherapy, nivolumab is also a PD1 inhibitor that works similarly to pembrolizumab.
• Dabrafenib (Tafinlar) and trametinib (Mekinist) combination – This is a targeted therapy combo for patients with a BRAF V600E/K mutation fueling their cancer. About 50% of melanomas have BRAF mutations.
• Ipilimumab (Yervoy) – This medication is also an immunotherapy. Ipilimumab blocks the activity of a molecule called CTLA-4, a protein that prevents your immune system’s T cells from attacking your normal body cells and cancer cells.
• Interferon alpha (FDA-approved, but no longer recommended by the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) Melanoma Panel).

“We have known for a while now that immunotherapy is a very important weapon in the fight against melanoma,” Dr. Janice Mehnert, associate director of clinical research at NYU Langone’s Perlmutter Cancer Center, explains to SurvivorNet.

SurvivorNet spoke with Dr. James (Jim) Allison, a pioneer in immunotherapy research at MD Anderson Cancer Center, who was awarded a Nobel Prize for the development of the science known as checkpoint inhibitors.

“Immunotherapy is rather unique in that for the first time, we’re getting truly curative therapies in many kinds of disease– not just in melanoma but in lung cancer, kidney cancer, bladder cancer, Hodgkin’s lymphoma, Merkel cell cancer, head and neck cancer,” Dr. Allison tells SurvivorNet.

“I think that the most powerful combinations coming up are based on combining immune blockers or enhancers, but also drugs that can directly kill tumor cells to really have a double whammy,” Dr. Allison added.

RELATED: Watch “Breakthrough,” The Film About Nobel Prize Winner Jim Allison And The Invention Saving Millions of Lives; Learn How Immunotherapy Can Help Late-Stage Lung Cancer

How Immunotherapy Like Keytruda Works

Cancer cells often fly under the immune system’s radar by producing proteins that disguise them as “normal.” Checkpoint inhibitors such as Keytruda break that illusion, helping white blood cells recognize and attack those cancer cells.

Rather than killing cancer directly, these treatments empower the immune system to do the job, with fewer side effects on healthy tissue.

WATCH: Immunotherapy Helps Your Body Help Itself

Common side effects of Keytruda include:

• Fatigue
• Rash or itching
• Shortness of breath or cough
• Nausea, vomiting, or appetite loss
• Diarrhea or constipation
• Low thyroid levels
• Abdominal pain

Immunotherapy Side Effects During Treatment for Melanoma

A new study published in JAMA Oncology is shedding light on the long-term side effects of immunotherapy in melanoma patients—revealing that chronic complications may be more widespread than previously thought.

“Chronic and long-lasting side effects were more common than we expected and involved a variety of often overlooked organs like the thyroid, salivary glands, and joints,” said Dr. Douglas Johnson, senior author of the study and associate professor of medicine at Vanderbilt University Medical Center.

WATCH: Tell Your Doctor About Immunotherapy Side Effects

Despite the findings, Dr. Johnson emphasized the groundbreaking nature of immunotherapy, especially anti-PD-1 drugs. “It has been an absolute game-changer for patients with melanoma,” he noted.

“I think the first thing to recognize is how really transformative the Anti-PD-1 drugs have been… patients can have very long-term responses to treatment.”

Still, for patients with advanced melanoma—especially those who’ve undergone surgical removal and have a low risk of recurrence—Dr. Johnson advised more nuanced conversations around treatment.

“So determining whether the risks of the side effects, weighing the benefits of treatment with the risks of the side effects, can be an important consideration,” he said. “What our study did was we basically saw that some of these side effects were more common, really, than had been previously reported.”

Reported side effects can range from mild to severe, including dry throat, inflammation of the eye blood vessels, numbness, or tingling. And for many, the decision comes down to weighing symptom severity with potential longevity benefits.

WATCH: Managing Immunotherapy side effects.

Dr. Anna Pavlick, a medical oncologist specializing in melanoma care, added context around immunotherapy management. “Depending upon the severity, it depends upon how we manage it,” she said.

“The percentage of patients who have very serious side effects from immunotherapy is contingent upon whether patients will get one medicine or a combination of two medicines.”

She explained that patients receiving a single immunotherapy drug face a 10–15% chance of experiencing severe reactions like rash or diarrhea. But for patients with metastatic melanoma, a dual-drug regimen—though more effective at controlling the cancer—comes with about a 50% chance of developing side effects.

FDA-Approved Immunotherapy for Melanoma

There are several FDA-approved immunotherapies for melanoma. Each is approved for certain instances of melanoma.

• Tebentafusp-tebn (Kimmtrak)
• Aldesleukin (Proleukin)
• Atezolizumab (Tecentriq)
• Dostarlimab (Jemperli)
• Interferon alfa-2b (Intron A)
• Ipilimumab (Yervoy)
• Nivolumab (Opdivo)
• Peginterferon alfa-2b (Sylatron/PEG-Intron)
• Pembrolizumab (Keytruda)
• Talimogene laherparepvec (Imlygic)
• Imiquimod (Aldara)

The goal is to steadily reduce the risk of recurrence in all patients. It’s not a one-size-fits-all approach. Some people may not be candidates for this therapy, and side effects vary from person to person.

Understanding Melanomas

Changes to a mole you’ve had for a while or a new growth on your skin could be signs of melanoma, according to SurvivorNet’s experts. You’ll want to watch them and tell your doctor about any changes you notice.

WATCH: How do you perform a skin check using the ABCDEs?

SurvivorNet experts recommend avoiding unprotected sun exposure because ultraviolet (UV) radiation can lead to melanoma. Tanning beds pose ultraviolet radiation risks for skin cancer and should be avoided. Many dermatologists recommend using spray tans to reduce the risk of melanoma skin cancer.

The most important thing to look out for when it comes to finding melanoma is a new spot on your skin or a spot that is changing in size, shape, or color, SurvivorNet’s medical experts say.

Treatment options for melanoma include targeted therapy and immunotherapy, which give people a better chance of living a long and healthy life than ever before. If you’re diagnosed with melanoma, there’s a good chance surgery will be the treatment your doctor recommends.

Cancer removal usually leads to a cure in the early stages of the disease. After surgery, the removed tissue and lymph nodes are examined to measure the melanoma and determine if it has clear margins.

Clear margins mean the cells around the area of tissue that was removed don’t contain any melanoma. When no cancer cells are left around the removed area, your cancer is less likely to return.

WATCH: Beating Aggressive Melanoma: An Immunotherapy Success Story

For melanoma patients who need additional treatment after surgery, they are likely to receive adjuvant therapy (treatments administered after surgery). Adjuvant therapy is designed to improve outcomes and decrease the risk of recurrence.

Questions to Ask Your Doctor

If you are diagnosed with skin cancer, you may have some questions for your doctor. SurvivorNet suggests the following to help you on your cancer journey.

• What type of skin cancer do I have?
• What treatment options exist for my type of melanoma?
• Will insurance cover this treatment?
• Would treatment through a clinical trial make sense for me?
• What resources exist to help manage my anxiety because of this diagnosis?

Contributing: SurvivorNet Staff

Learn more about SurvivorNet's rigorous medical review process.

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