‘Tell It To My Heart’ ‘80s Singer Taylor Dayne, 64, Says Colon Cancer Took Her Down to 98 lbs – What Patients Should Know About Body Changes in Treatment
‘Tell It To My Heart’ ‘80s Singer Taylor Dayne, 64, Says Colon Cancer Took Her Down to 98 lbs – What Patients Should Know About Body Changes in Treatment
‘80s pop singer, Taylor Dayne, 64, reflects on her colon cancer battle four years later, remembering the dramatic weight loss and physical toll but also how far she’s come to perform again with added resilience.
Diagnosed in 2022, the mother of two vowed to fight. She needed surgery to treat her early-stage colon cancer, and experts note that early-stage colon cancer can sometimes be cured with surgery, though some patients need chemotherapy beforehand.
Doctors sometimes recommend chemotherapy before colon cancer surgery when the tumor is very large or has begun to spread, because “shrinking it first can make the surgery less difficult for the patient, and the recovery less challenging,” Dr. Paul Oberstein tells SurvivorNet.
After treatment, Dayne says she dropped to just 98 pounds. Experts say body changes during treatment—visible or not—can be emotionally challenging.
Psychologist Dr. Marianna Strongin encourages patients to honor the parts of their body they love and gradually accept the areas changed by cancer.
‘80s pop icon Taylor Dayne, 64, is now four years past her colon cancer battle, and looking back, she’s struck by how far she’s come.
During treatment, she lost a dramatic amount of weight, a side effect that left her physically weakened, but today she’s performing with the same fire that fueled her early career.
A mother of two, Dayne vowed to fight from the moment she was diagnosed in 2022.
“I was lying in the hospital after surgery. I got really, really sick, and it gave me a new sense of purpose,” Dayne explained to People.
“I said, ‘I’m not ready to go. I’m going to fight this.’”
When colon cancer is caught early, before it spreads beyond the colon, surgery alone can sometimes be curative.
In certain cases, doctors may recommend chemotherapy before surgery.
Medical oncologist Dr. Paul Oberstein explains that this approach is used when a tumor is especially large and needs to be shrunk to make surgery safer, or when there’s limited spread outside the colon.
“There are two kinds of circumstances in which we give chemotherapy prior to surgery,” medical oncologist Dr. Paul Oberstein explains to SurvivorNet.
“If the tumor is very large, it may make sense to try to shrink it through chemotherapy prior to going to surgery. The reason to do that would be to make the surgery less difficult for the patient, and the recovery less challenging,” Dr. Oberstein said.
BRIDGEHAMPTON, NY – AUGUST 05: Taylor Dayne performs at the Sixth Annual Hamptons Paddle & Party For Pink To Benefit Breast Cancer Research Foundation on August 5, 2017 in Bridgehampton, New York. (Photo by Steven Henry/Getty Images for Breast Cancer Research Foundation)
“Another circumstance in which we would recommend chemotherapy before surgery is the limited number of cases in which the tumor has spread outside of the colon,” Dr. Oberstein continued.
Even if surgery is successful at removing your cancer, there are always risks to surgery. If you hear the term “complications,” that can mean anything from an infection that is treated with antibiotics to a problem with the surgery itself that requires another operation.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – APRIL 28: Taylor Dayne performs during The New York Pops’ 42nd Birthday Gala at Carnegie Hall on April 28, 2025 in New York City. (Photo by Dia Dipasupil/Getty Images)
Dayne’s rise to fame began in 1987 with “Tell It to My Heart,” a hit that defined the era with its choreography, leather, and unmistakable big hair. She followed it with chart‑toppers like “Prove Your Love” and “I’ll Always Love You,” and later stepped into acting with the series “Rude Awakening.”
However, Dayne’s cancer journey was grueling. At one point, she dropped to just 98 pounds.
“I even walked weirdly,” she said. “But that’s one trial and tribulation. That’s not the story.”
For Dayne, the real story is survival and reclaiming her strength, her voice, and her purpose.
How to Deal With Changes to Your Body While Undergoing Cancer Treatment?
Cancer treatment can bring real changes to your body, such as weight gain or loss, hair loss, scars, or even shifts you can’t see but deeply feel.
Noticing these changes while you’re already navigating a health crisis can be overwhelming, but understanding what’s happening can help you stay grounded.
One of the most helpful things you can do is prepare yourself for the possibility of change and remind yourself that many of these changes are temporary.
UNSPECIFIED – CIRCA 1970: Photo of Taylor Dayne Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images
Building that mindset early can strengthen your confidence. Leaning on your support system can also make this stage of the journey feel less isolating.
Treatments like surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation often cause visible changes, while others, such as endocrine or hormone therapy, may be less noticeable. Hormone therapy works by slowing or stopping the growth of hormone‑sensitive tumors by blocking the body’s ability to produce certain hormones.
Psychologist Dr. Marianna Strongin tells SurvivorNet that managing the emotional impact of these changes is just as important as managing the physical ones.
She encourages patients to take ownership of the parts of their body most affected by treatment. Even if those areas represent fear or pain, she says they also represent strength and courage.
American singer and songwriter Taylor Dayne, wearing a black jacket with black silk lapels, poses against a red background, United States, circa 1990. (Photo by Vinnie Zuffante/Getty Images)
Research shows that when we look in the mirror, we tend to focus on the parts of our body we’re unhappy with, which can lower self‑esteem.
Dr. Strongin suggests starting with the opposite: spend time looking at the parts of your body you love. Honor them. Thank them.
Then, gently shift your attention to the areas changed by cancer or treatment. Creating a regular practice of acknowledging and accepting your body can help you emotionally accept your cancer journey as well.
“As you allow yourself to spend more time looking at all of you, you will begin having a new relationship with your body,” Dr. Strongin says.
It may take time, but with patience, you can learn to honor and appreciate the body that’s carrying you through this fight.
When Dayne is asked about her cancer journey, she often begins with a sense of gratitude that her cancer was caught early. Her cancer journey began in the summer of 2022 when she was diagnosed with colon cancer. Colon or colorectal cancer affects your large intestine (colon) or the end of your intestine (rectum). Her cancer was discovered following a routine colonoscopy.
“I develop polyps, so I had been getting them checked every six months,” Dayne told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
“During one of those times, they found a very aggressive polyp,” she further explained.
A colonoscopy is a procedure doctors use to screen for colon cancer by looking inside the colon.
WATCH: Understanding a colonoscopy
This procedure requires your colon to be “cleaned out.” To clear out your colon, your doctor will prescribe a “bowel prep,” a liquid you drink the night before the procedure. The prep acts as a laxative that causes you to have multiple loose stools before your procedure.
Once your colon is cleared out, the gastroenterologist performing the procedure can have a clear look to evaluate if any polyps or masses are present.
Depending on the size and number of polyps found, it is recommended that patients undergo a repeat colonoscopy within three to five years.
Dr. Zuri Murrell, a colorectal cancer surgeon and Director of the Cedars-Sinai Colorectal Cancer Center, previously explained the colonoscopy procedure to SurvivorNet.
“When we see a polyp, we actually physically take the polyp out through the colonoscope,” he explained.
“What does that mean? That means we basically put a wire through with a little bit of a flange at the end, and we pull the polyp out. Now, note that there is no pain with that. Inside the colon, there are no pain fibers, so there’s no pain,” Dr. Murrell added.
The advantage of a colonoscopy is that your doctor can remove any polyps found during the test. Many colon cancers can be caught on a colonoscopy before they develop or when the polyps are small enough to be removed without surgery.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – APRIL 28: Taylor Dayne attends The New York Pops’ 42nd Birthday Gala at Mandarin Oriental, New York on April 28, 2025 in New York City. (Photo by Dia Dipasupil/Getty Images)
Dayne said during a “Good Morning America” interview that when her doctor told her she had cancer, it was difficult to process.
“I didn’t take it in,” Dayne said.
When you’re diagnosed with cancer, it’s normal to feel overwhelmed with emotions. According to psychiatrist Dr. Lori Plutchik, cancer patients’ emotions can range from anger to sadness and fear in a short span of time.
“The patient or person going through the stressful event should accept that emotions will be fluid. You may feel fine one day and then feel a massive wave of stress the next. It’s also important for those you look to for support, whether that’s a therapist, friends, and family, or both, to understand the fluidity of stress-related emotions,” Dr. Plutchik said.
Dayne revealed that as a child, she spent a lot of time in the hospital, so she learned to take good care of herself as she grew older. She regularly receives colonoscopies after her doctors previously found benign polyps during previous colonoscopies.
Dayne says that upon her diagnosis, her doctor “never even said the stage” but stressed that the cancer was detected early.
She treated her colon cancer by getting surgery, which removed 10 inches of her colon.
She told ABC News that after the procedure, she was declared “cancer-free.”
As the ‘80s singer was recovering from her surgery, she suffered an infection.
“I was pretty much gutted right down the center. Then I had an infection. When you’re cut open, that can happen. I had issues around my spleen and pancreas. My recovery was slow. I just had to find the right antibiotics to cut the cancer out. I was very sick,” Dayne admitted.
She did not need chemotherapy, which involves cancer-killing drugs, or radiation therapy, which involves using high-energy beams such as X-rays aimed at cancer cells, hoping to kill them.
“I came back a fighter. I had ketamine treatments (which treat depression, anxiety, and PTSD). My body was so traumatized. I was in so much pain for so many months. I feel bad for people who are much older than me who can’t get through this,” Dayne said.
After recovering, Dayne says she’s more mindful about what she eats, adding, “I need stamina so I can be me on stage.”
Colon Cancer Is Treatable and Curable When Caught Early
Colon cancer is very treatable and curable if caught early. Colon cancer screenings can involve at-home tests such as Cologuard, but a colonoscopy is more effective, according to SurvivorNet experts.
The cancer starts when abnormal lumps called polyps grow in the colon or rectum. It takes up to 10 years for a colon polyp to become full-blown cancer, according to SurvivorNet experts.
When you have a colonoscopy, the gastroenterologist looks for polyps inside your intestine. Although polyps can’t be felt, they can be picked up by screening tests before they cause a problem, such as colon or rectal (colorectal) cancer.
A polyp found during a colonoscopy can be removed, which can prevent the development of cancer. Almost all polyps that are removed are precancerous, meaning that they have not yet progressed to cancer.
The American Gastrointestinal Association lowered the recommended initial age for colorectal screening from 50 to 45. However, experts recommend screening earlier for some people who may be at an increased risk of developing colon cancer, such as those with a family history of the disease.
WATCH: Debunking misconceptions about colon cancer.
The most poignant signature of colon cancer is a change in bowel habits. Changes in the size or shape of bowel movements may cause constipation or diarrhea. A change in stool color, particularly black or tarry stools, can indicate bleeding from a tumor deep in the colon.
Other symptoms can be harder to pinpoint, such as abdominal pain and unintentional weight loss. Finally, some tumors bleed a small amount over a long period of time, resulting in anemia (low red blood cell count) that is picked up on blood work.
A Colonoscopy Explained
A colonoscopy is a screening test that allows doctors to examine the inside of the colon for signs of cancer or other abnormalities.
To prepare, the colon must be completely emptied. Your doctor will prescribe a bowel prep—a liquid solution taken the night before—that works as a strong laxative and triggers multiple loose stools to clear the colon.
With the colon clean, the gastroenterologist can carefully inspect the lining and remove or evaluate any polyps or suspicious areas. Follow‑up timing depends on what’s found. If polyps are present, especially larger or multiple ones, doctors typically recommend repeating the colonoscopy in three to five years.
WATCH: What Doctors Look for During Colonoscopies
What Treatment Options Exist for Colon Cancer?
“There are a lot of advances being made in colorectal cancer,” Dr. Yeo previously told SurvivorNet.
Colon cancer treatment is more targeted, meaning doctors often test for specific changes or genetic mutations that cause cancer growth.
Biomarkers are key to tailoring specific treatments. Biomarkers are molecular patterns becoming more commonly used in colon cancer diagnosis, prognosis, and management. According to the National Cancer Institute, a biomarker is “a biological molecule found in blood, other body fluids, or tissues that is a sign of a normal or abnormal process, or a condition or disease,” such as cancer.
“In colon cancer, we’re starting to look more and more at people’s biomarkers, so we’re starting to take the cancers, sequence them, understand where the different mutations are to figure out whether or not someone has a normal gene here or an abnormal gene,” Dr. Yeo explained.
“Those are the areas that people want to be able to target a little bit more. We’re getting close to more of what we would call precision medicine, meaning we can start looking at people’s genetic mutations and think about how they might respond to different drugs.”
There are different types of biomarkers, including DNA, proteins, and genetic mutations found in blood, tumor tissue, or other body fluids. The biomarkers most commonly used in colon cancer management are:
Genetic mutations within the tumor, such as MMR/MSI, KRAS, BRAF, and HER2
Bloodstream carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA)
CEA is a protein produced by most tumor cells (but not all) and can be picked up in the bloodstream. High CEA levels do not establish a colon cancer diagnosis. However, higher CEA levels correlate with a worse prognosis and potential metastasis. Carcinoembryonic antigen is important for post-treatment follow-up to ensure the cancer hasn’t returned. Be sure to check with your doctor before treatment starts to ensure a CEA blood sample has been obtained.
More on Treating Colon Cancer
Surgery and chemotherapy are common approaches to colorectal cancer.
Some examples of Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved chemotherapy drug treatments include:
FOLFOX: leucovorin, 5-FU, and oxaliplatin (Eloxatin)
FOLFIRI: leucovorin, 5-FU, and irinotecan (Camptosar)
CAPEOX or CAPOX: capecitabine (Xeloda) and oxaliplatin
FOLFOXIRI: leucovorin, 5-FU, oxaliplatin, and irinotecan
Trifluridine and tipiracil (Lonsurf)
WATCH: Understanding Your Options with Metastatic Colon Cancer
Among metastatic colon cancer patients, multiple treatment options exist, including surgical and non-surgical options.
One treatment option includes an oral treatment called Fruquintinib, which is a targeted therapy for adults with metastatic colorectal cancer who have tried other treatments. Results from a trial published last year showed the drug improved overall survival and progression-free survival, which measures the amount of time before the cancer returns or spreads. It works by blocking the growth of blood vessels, which increases tumor growth.
Once you get to the metastatic setting, many patients “just run out of options,” Jennifer Elliott, head of solid tumors at Takeda, explained to SurvivorNet at the ASCO Annual Meeting. So it was critically important for Takeda to do this deal to in-license fruquintinib. We hope to give patients another option.”
Fruquintinib has been approved in China since 2018 and was originally developed by the Chinese biopharmaceutical company HUTCHMED. In January 2023, Takeda Oncology acquired the exclusive worldwide license for the drug outside of mainland China, Hong Kong, and Macau.
Questions to Ask Your Doctor
If you are facing a colon cancer diagnosis, here are some questions you may ask your doctor.
What are my treatment options based on my diagnosis?
If I’m worried about managing the costs of cancer care, who can help me?
What support services are available to me? To my family?
Could this treatment affect my sex life? If so, how and for how long?
What are the risks and possible side effects of treatment?
