Most of us know someone who has or had cancer -- a relative, a friend, a neighbour.

Some of us know people who have or had cancer and we don't even know it. And then there are people we don't know but who we know of, people whose stories we know even though we've never met them. This blog lists 10 famous people who've battled cancer and I'll admit that some of these I didn't know. Here they are:

    * Bob Marley: The iconic musician died as a result of melanoma
    * Kylie Minogue: This starlet was diagnosed with breast cancer a few years ago but it's in remission now.
    * Delta Goodrem: This Aussie popstar was diagnosed with Hodgkin's Disease when she was 18 and is since in remission

    * Ronald Regan: Was diagnosed with colon cancer in 1985 and skin cancer in 1987 - both were surgically removed
    * Walt Disney: Died of lung cancer in 1966
    * Steve Jobs: the co-founder of Apple was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and is now in remission.
    * Nelson Mandela: The former South African leader was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2001 and is in remission
    * Lance Armstrong: Was diagnosed with testicular cancer in 1996 and given a 2% chance at survival. This was before he won the Tour de France.
    * Isaac Asimov: The science fiction writer was diagnosed with thyroid cancer in 1972.
    * Sigmund Freud: was diagnosed with mouth cancer in the 1930s (too many cigars?) and subsequently underwent over 30 operations to remove the tumors in his jaw. His friend euthanized him at his request in 1939.

Obviously this isn't a comprehensive list of famous people who've had cancer. In fact, it doesn't really even scratch the surface. But it's a start. Which ones surprised you?


The main source for this article is TheCancerBlog