William Shatner and His Daughter's Battle Against Stage Four Cancer

Canadian actor William Shatner recently revealed that he and his youngest daughter, Melanie Shatner Gretsch, were both diagnosed with stage four cancer approximately a year apart. After a two-year long battle with cancer, the father-daughter duo were both declared cancer-free in 2024.

Melanie was diagnosed with stage 4 breast cancer in 2022, after she has discovered a lump in her breast by accident.

“I woke up in the middle of the night, and my finger moved up right beneath my breast. I felt a little bump and thought, ‘It’s just a bug bite,’” she recalled.

Despite having had a clear mammogram a few months ago, Melanie went in for an imaging appointment the next day. Subsequent tests revealed that she had HER2-positive breast cancer that had spread to lymph nodes in her chest. The news had left her feeling “devastated”.

Over the next year and a half, Melanie underwent extensive treatment which consisted of a double mastectomy, chemotherapy, radiation therapy and targeted therapy. She shared that “Chemo was the most physically draining, and the radiation I found so emotionally draining.”

However, as she was in the final stretch of her treatment, her father was diagnosed with stage 4 melanoma.

“I remember vividly thinking, ‘I don’t have the strength to take care of myself and lose my father at the same time,’” she recalled.

Shatner, who was best known for his role as James T. Kirk in the Star Trek series, was diagnosed with stage 4 melanoma in June 2023.

"I went to an oncologist ... and they operated almost immediately with Stage 4 melanoma,” Shatner recalled after he had gotten a lump on his cheek checked. He added that his cancer had metastasized to his lungs and brain.

When he received his cancer diagnosis, Shatner remained resolute. “They said, ‘You got cancer. If you came in later, you would have been dead.’ See? That’s my life. I think the universe is taking care of me,” he shared.

Following his diagnosis, Shatner had surgery to remove the tumor on his face and subsequently underwent immunotherapy for two years to target the remaining cancer cells in his brain and lungs.

According to the National Cancer Institute, the five-year survival rate of stage 4 metastatic melanoma is approximately 16%. However, despite the odds, Shatner remained resilient and was eventually declared cancer free in 2024. His daughter, Melanie, was also declared cancer-free in 2024 after completing her treatment.

Overcoming cancer has changed the lives of the father and daughter. Shatner shared that he is finding small things in life to be grateful for.

“I’m thinking of the miracle of a hummingbird, and of my dog taking a ball, and my children. I’m aware of the magic of it all,” he shared. “It’s easy for us in this lovely home to say, ‘Make your life meaningful.’ It’s much more difficult to be poverty-stricken and wonder how you’re going to get through it. I’ve been there. But it’s also possible to endure that and be aware of the beauty around you.”

Melanie added that overcoming cancer “changed my life. I’m not so afraid anymore, and there’s so much freedom and joy.”

Their father-daughter bond is also now stronger than ever after supporting each other throughout their cancer journey.

No Time But Now podcast

After having survived cancer, the father-daughter duo is now launching a new podcast series titled No Time But Now, where they interview health experts and other survivors to raise awareness about cancer.

“Statues are torn down at some point. ‘Legacy’ is doing good deeds and helping other people. That reverberates for the end of time,” Shatner shared.