‘The Voice’ Singer Virginia Lillye, 55, Whose Battling Ovarian Cancer, Celebrates ‘8 Years of Marriage’ With Supportive Husband Whose Stood By Her Side Throughout Her Cancer Journey
‘The Voice’ Singer Virginia Lillye, 55, Whose Battling Ovarian Cancer, Celebrates ‘8 Years of Marriage’ With Supportive Husband Whose Stood By Her Side Throughout Her Cancer Journey
How a Supportive Partner Can Make Battling Cancer Just a Bit Easier
“The Voice” singer Virginia Lillye, 55, is celebrating her eighth wedding anniversary with her supportive husband, who’s been by her side every step of her journey with stage 3 ovarian cancer.
Cancer caregivers can be spouses, family members, or close friends. They can act as a patient’s second set of ears. If possible, it can be helpful to attend appointments with the patient and take notes on treatment options, procedures, and other important facts worth remembering.
As a caregiver, it’s crucial to help the patient keep track of symptoms, any new reactions to treatment, and concerns they have for their doctors.
Lillye was diagnosed with ovarian cancer in 2023 and has since undergone treatment, reached remission, and then recurrence, meaning her cancer returned after briefly beating the disease. She’s since restarted treatment.
Ovarian cancer recurrence (cancer returning after initial treatment) happens in “almost 25 percent of cases with early-stage diseases and in more than 80 percent with more advanced stages,” according to research published in the “Gland Surgery” medical journal.
Ovarian cancer doesn’t always present obvious symptoms until the cancer has already reached its late stages. The symptoms may include bloating, pelvic & abdominal pain, changes in bowel habits, nausea, and vomiting.
Virginia Lillye, the powerhouse singer best known from her appearance on “The Voice,” is proving that even in the face of cancer, love and anniversaries are still worth celebrating. At 55, Lillye marked eight years of marriage this summer with her husband, Julian Crupi—her steadfast partner through every twist of her ovarian cancer journey.
“The traditional gift for 8 years of marriage is bronze,” Lillye shared in a heartfelt Instagram post.
“Bronze symbolizes the strength and durability of a marriage. I couldn’t agree more with this traditional symbol!! We have gone from strength to strength each year and have become more durable over the last two years than one can ever imagine,” she continued.
Lillye’s emphasis on the past two years speaks volumes. In 2023, she was diagnosed with ovarian cancer—a disease that often begins in the fallopian tubes, where rogue cells migrate to the ovaries and form tumors. Since then, she’s faced treatment, remission, and recurrence with unflinching courage.
Through every stage, Lillye has documented her experience publicly, largely on social media, offering a raw and inspiring glimpse into life with cancer. At the center of her support system stands Crupi, embodying the role of caregiver with grace and devotion.
Spouses of cancer patients often become silent heroes—managing appointments, helping navigate treatment decisions, and offering emotional ballast in turbulent times. For Lillye and Crupi, their bond has not only endured but deepened, shaped by shared resilience and unwavering hope.
Helping Patients Understand Treatment Options for Ovarian Cancer
After a cancer diagnosis, it’s natural for spouses to grapple with a whirlwind of emotions — anger, grief, anxiety, and beyond. The journey ahead can feel overwhelming, but it’s important to remember that a cancer diagnosis is not a death sentence. There are strategies to navigate uncertainty, find support, and face challenges with resilience.
Some popular approaches, backed by research and many anecdotal accounts, include:
Talking to a therapist to share feelings you’re going through
Having candid conversations with your loved one about the diagnosis
Researching the disease together to learn about available treatment options
Joining a support group or connecting with others who have gone through, or are going through, the same experience
SurvivorNet has spoken with a collection of expert oncologists, social workers, and patient advocates to provide a helpful list of how cancer caregivers can help throughout the treatment journey and beyond.
Attend Doctor Visits
Throughout the treatment process, there will be many occasions when the patient receives a large amount of information at once. As a caregiver, attending as many doctor visits as possible can be a huge help. This allows you to take notes on treatment options, protocols, lifestyle changes that may be needed, and more.
Connect With a Social Worker or Patient Navigator
Ask for the patient’s medical team to connect you with a patient navigator or social worker. Many hospitals and cancer centers have specialized staff available to connect you with additional resources, which may include arranging transportation to and from doctor appointments, assisting with insurance claims, and more.
WATCH: How Patient Navigators Can Help
Help the Patient Keep Track of Their Symptoms
As mind-boggling as a cancer diagnosis can be for a spouse or loved one, it’s likely more stressful for the patient.
Sometimes, it is easier for the caregiver to monitor the patient’s symptoms than for the patient. Try to maintain an open line of communication and encourage your loved one to share their feelings regularly to help monitor symptoms.
Let the Patient Speak for Themselves Whenever Possible
As a caregiver, your role is to be the best advocate possible for the patient. While assisting them with various tasks, it is essential to allow them to maintain a sense of independence whenever possible. Cancer caregivers can help keep track of symptoms, navigate finances, and even emotions — but they should also let the person they are caring for speak up about what they genuinely need throughout the process.
“Some of the best examples that I have seen in caregivers are those spouses or loved ones who really, almost sit back and they allow the patient, or they want the patient to express what the patient feels first, rather than barging in,” gynecologic oncologist Dr. Jayanthi Lea told SurvivorNet.
“…Step back a little bit and let the patient speak for themselves. Let them express what they are feeling. That is so important for the patient’s overall quality of life and well-being,” Dr. Lea added.
Virginia’s Ongoing Cancer Journey
Lillye is a singer who has performed alongside legendary performers as part of KISS, Guns ‘N’ Roses, and more. Last summer, eagle-eyed fans noticed she wasn’t sharing photos and videos of her shows as frequently as she once did. Her dormancy stemmed from a stage 3 ovarian cancer diagnosis.
“You may have noticed the absence of posts related to gigs and shows,” Lillye said on Instagram.
WATCH: Ovarian cancer’s subtle symptoms.
Ovarian cancer has been called the “cancer that whispers” because women often don’t experience symptoms until their cancer has already reached its late stages. The symptoms that do appear at first are hard to identify as cancer.
“Ovarian cancer does not have any specific symptoms,” Dr. Beth Karlan, a gynecologic oncologist at UCLA Medical Center, told SurvivorNet.
The symptoms of ovarian cancer may include the following, according to SurvivorNet experts.
A feeling of bloating or fullness
Pain in the pelvis or abdomen
Nausea
Vomiting
Changes in bowel habits
WATCH: Treating ovarian cancer.
“I have a long road of recovery ahead with round one of chemo ticked off already and am heading for round two,” Lillye said in July 2023.
Her treatment included multiple rounds of chemotherapy and a full hysterectomy.
A hysterectomy is a procedure that removes part or all of the uterus (or womb), often along with the cervix, according to the National Cancer Institute. Women who receive a diagnosis of uterine, ovarian, and cervical cancer may have their cancer treated with a hysterectomy.
Photo: Instagram/virginialillye.official
Amid treatment, Lillye experienced hair loss. She remained in high spirits, fueled by her husband’s willingness to shave his head alongside her.
“The hair has fallen out, and my husband, being the amazing human that he is, has supportively shaved his locks off, too,” Lillye said.
After a challenging surgery and additional rounds of chemotherapy, Lillye said she felt herself getting stronger mentally.
The standard of care for ovarian cancer patients is chemotherapy, which helps many patients reach remission.
Ovarian cancer recurrence happens in “almost 25 percent of cases with early-stage diseases and in more than 80 percent with more advanced stages,” according to research published in the “Gland Surgery” medical journal. With recurrence a strong possibility for this disease, especially in the later stages of ovarian cancer, certain drug treatments to deal with it are giving many women hope.
Maintenance therapy is continued treatment after the patient finishes their initial treatment. After an ovarian cancer patient completes a round of treatments — such as surgery and chemotherapy — her doctor may recommend some form of maintenance therapy to try and delay possible recurrence. Maintenance therapy can involve taking an oral pill called a PARP inhibitor every day after chemotherapy and can keep cancer in remission longer.
Genetic testing helps doctors determine the best maintenance therapy.
WATCH: How your ovarian cancer responds to certain types of chemotherapies guides your future treatments.
At the start of 2024, Lillye received her last round of chemotherapy, or so she thought. A couple of months later, in March 2024, recurring CT scans detected something concerning.
“My recent CT scan has shown evidence of fluid in my left lung with thickening on the lining. What would normally be considered as not an issue, the fact that my CA125 blood level count has jumped from 13 to 74, has my team worried,” Lillye explained.
In the end, her care team told her she needed to restart chemotherapy.
“Back in the saddle for my target therapy,” Lillye said.
Lillye remains hopeful after undergoing two additional cycles of chemo; tests will no longer find any evidence of cancer.
What Happens During a Recurrence
When cancer returns, it is referred to as recurrence. It often occurs because some cancer cells are left behind after treatment. Those cells grow over time and are eventually detected in follow-up scans received by patients in remission.
Ovarian cancer patients faced with a recurrence will likely need to restart chemotherapy or consider another surgical procedure.
Photo: Instagram/virginialillye.official
The type of treatment recommended for recurrence can depend on several factors:
The period within which the cancer recurred
The kind of chemotherapy the woman underwent in the past
Side effects that came as a result of past treatments
The length of time between the last treatment the woman underwent and the recurrence
The specific mutations and molecular features of your cancer
If a woman’s time between remission and recurrence is more than six months, then the ovarian cancer is categorized as “platinum-sensitive” (that is, responsive to a platinum-based chemotherapy treatment), and that patient will be treated with chemotherapy and another platinum-based drug.
If the recurrence time happens less than six months into remission, the ovarian cancer is classified as “platinum-resistant.” At that point, women are usually treated with another type of chemotherapy and encouraged to enter a clinical trial. Alternatively, women might be platinum-refractory, which refers to a disease that grows while the patient is on chemotherapy and has a particularly poor prognosis.
Clinical trials are an option for women facing ovarian cancer with a high probability of recurrence. If you fall into this category, ask your doctor about possible clinical trial eligibility. Clinical trials help doctors better understand cancer and discover more effective treatment methods. They also allow patients to try a treatment before it’s approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which can potentially be life-changing.
Despite the great benefits of clinical trials, they also come with risks (like potential side effects that are not fully understood yet). People interested in participating in clinical trials must first talk with their doctor to see if they would be a good fit.
Determining the probability that a woman’s cancer will recur depends on the stage at which they were initially diagnosed. According to most data:
Women with stage 1 ovarian cancer have a 10 percent chance of recurrence.
Women in stage 2 have a 30 percent chance of recurrence.
Women in stage 3 have a 70 to 90 percent chance of recurrence.
Women in stage 4 have a 90 to 95 percent chance of recurrence.
Questions for Your Doctor
If you have been diagnosed with ovarian cancer and need guidance to further educate yourself on the disease and treatment, consider these questions for your doctor.
What type of ovarian cancer do I have?
What stage is my cancer in?
Do you recommend I get genetic testing for any gene mutations, such as the BRCA gene mutation?
What initial treatment options do you recommend?
What are the possible side effects of the recommended treatment, and how can they be coped with?
Will insurance help cover my recommended treatment?
ANSWER QUESTIONS
