Published Jun 9, 2021

‘The Eyes of Tammy Faye’ Trailer: See Jessica Chastain Transform Into The Late Tammy Faye Baker, Who Battled Both Lung & Colon Cancer

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Tammy Faye's Cancer Battle

The upcoming movie The Eyes of Tammy Faye, starring Andrew Garfield and Jessica Chastain, spotlights the life of eccentric televangelist Tammy Faye Messner (formerly Tammy Faye Baker). She battled both colon and lung cancer for 11 years.
She first was diagnosed with colon cancer in March 1996, but after going through treatment she achieved remission. Nearly a decade later she was diagnosed with late-stage lung cancer, which she battled on and off for three years.
Quitting smoking can significantly decrease your likelihood of getting lung cancer, but it’s important to remember that non-smokers can also be diagnosed.

The trailer for upcoming movie The Eyes of Tammy Faye, starring Andrew Garfield and Jessica Chastain, spotlights the life of eccentric televangelist Tammy Faye Messner (formerly Tammy Faye Baker). Known for her glamorous persona, public marital problems, and controversial support of LGBTQ rights within her community, this famed figure struggled with two separate cancer battles over 11 years.

Two-time Oscar nominee Jessica Chastain takes on the role of Tammy Faye in the movie, which is set to be released in September. The film follows the marriage between Tammy Faye and her then-husband Jim Baker (played by Andrew Garfield) from their rise to public fame as larger-than-life televangelists to their downfall when Baker was indicted on counts of fraud and conspiracy. Tammy Faye established herself as a memorable public figure through her dancing, singing, as well as eccentric makeup skills and fashion style.

Despite her controversial image, Tammy Faye gained respect from the public during her 11-year battle with both colon and lung cancer. She first was diagnosed with colon cancer in March 1996, but after going through treatment she was declared in remission at the end of the year. However, her cancer journey continued. Nearly a decade later in 2004 Tammy Faye shared with radio host Larry King that she was battling late-stage lung cancer, and would go through chemotherapy treatments. The next year she shared with King again that the lung cancer had progressed, and reports surfaced that she was going through hospice in her own home.

While going through hospice for one year, Messner revealed in 2007 that she would stop chemotherapy treatments, but asked for support from her fans. She passed away in her home on July 20, 2007.

Colon Cancer & Chemotherapy

When facing colon cancer, there are a few different treatment options. Chemotherapy is a common first-line treatment. One of the most common chemotherapy regimens for colon cancer is 5-FU based chemotherapy. Patients will most often receive FOLFOX, in which 5-FU is combined with oxaliplatin. There are both intravenous and oral versions of 5-FU, and the oral version is known as capecitabine (Xeloda). In certain cases, additional medications will be added.

Overall, chemotherapy for colon cancer is well-tolerated. Many patients are able to continue working while only having to take time off around when they receive their treatments. The most common side effects of chemotherapy are related to the GI tract including diarrhea; patients may also experience fatigue, mouth sores, bleeding, and a decrease in white blood cell (WBC) count leading to an increased risk of infection.

Dr. Zachary Reese explains how patients can relieve gastrointestinal side-effects during chemotherapy

Lung Cancer: Know the Risks

Lung cancer is one of the most common forms of the disease affecting the United States. When it comes to preventing a possible cancer diagnosis, knowledge is power. That’s why it’s extremely important to know about risks and causes that may increase your likelihood of being diagnosed with lung cancer.

Smoking may be the first cause that comes to mind with lung cancer. And it is true that smoking causes most cases of this cancer. Tobacco smoke contains a mixture of more than 7,000 different chemicals, at least 70 of which are known to cause cancer. If you quit smoking, you can significantly reduce your risk of developing the disease and dying from it.

Yet almost 20% of people who die from lung cancer in the United States each year have never smoked or used any other form of tobacco. We say that anyone with lungs can get lung cancer regardless of if you have smoked or not. Some lung cancer risks are harder to avoid. For example, you may be at a higher risk of developing this cancer if you are constantly exposed to air pollution, or if you have a family history of lung cancer. If you have any of these risk factors, it's important to discuss them with your doctor, so you can stay on top of screening tests.

Dr. Ronald Natale explains the difference of lung cancer in smokers vs. non-smokers

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