Singer and actress Traci Braxton, star of 'Braxton Family Values,' has died at the age of 50 after a year-long battle with esophageal cancer. Her older sister Toni Braxton, as well as her son Kevin Surratt Jr., confirmed the news on March 12. Toni shared a photo of the Braxton siblings and a message from her family. "It is with the utmost regret that we inform you of the passing of our sister, Traci," the post read. "Needless to say, she was a bright light, a wonderful daughter, an amazing sister, a loving mother, wife, grandmother and a respected performer. We will miss her dearly." They asked for privacy "as we plan to send her home with love, celebrating her life. We are family forever. Love, The Braxton Family."

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Louie Anderson -

Louie Anderson was hospitalized in Las Vegas for treatment amid a battle with cancer. The comedian was diagnosed with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, the most common type of non-Hodgkin lymphoma in the world, his rep informed TMZ on January 18. Though it's unclear how long this battle has been going on, 'Coming To America' star's spokesperson added that he is resting comfortably in his hospital bed while receiving treatment. They added that while the cancer is aggressive, it is potentially curable.

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Ronnie Spector -

Ronnie Spector, leader of the 1960s girl group The Ronettes, died at the age of 78 after a brief battle with cancer. News of the music icon's passing was shared in an emotional statement from her family. Spector spent her last moments surrounded by family in the arms of her husband, Jonathan Greenfield. Known as the original bad girl of rock and roll, Spector's family recalled how she "lived her life with a twinkle in her eye, a spunky attitude, a wicked sense of humor, and a smile on her face."

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Kathy Griffin -

Veteran comedian Kathy Griffin shared the news that she had been diagnosed with lung cancer back in August of 2021. A few months later in November, she appeared on 'Jimmy Kimmel Live!' with an update on her health. Griffin underwent surgery to have part of her left lung removed. She was delighted to announce that the surgery was a success and she is now cancer-free! She joked that the procedure has changed her voice, and she now sounds like "Minnie Mouse meets Marilyn Monroe."

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Virgil Abloh -

Virgil Abloh, artistic director of Louis Vuitton menswear and founder of luxury fashion label Off-White, tragically passed away on November 28 after privately battling a rare form of cancer called cardiac angiosarcoma for over two years. The historic designer, who is also an architect, a visual artist, and a DJ, was just 41 years old. A post shared to his Instagram announcing the news said, "He chose to endure his battle privately since his diagnosis in 2019, undergoing numerous challenging treatments, all while helming several significant institutions that span fashion, art, and culture. Through it all, his work ethic, infinite curiosity, and optimism never wavered. Virgil was driven by his dedication to his craft and to his mission to open doors for others and create pathways for greater equality in art and design."

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James Michael Tyler -

The actor who played the Central Perk coffee shop manager in 'Friends,' passed away on October 24, 2021, following a battle with prostate cancer. "The world knew him as Gunther (the seventh 'Friend'), from the hit series Friends, but Michael's loved ones knew him as an actor, musician, cancer-awareness advocate, and loving husband," a statement from his manager said. He was just 59. Tyler had opened up about his devastating battle against cancer for the first time in June 2021, sharing in an interview with 'Today' that he was diagnosed with advanced prostate cancer back in September 2018 after a routine physical. "I was 56 years old at the time, and they screen for PSA, which is prostate-specific antigen." He said his doctor called him in and he soon learned the cancer had spread to his bones. "For my specific prognosis, it's of course stage 4," he said. "Late stage cancer. So eventually, you know, it's gonna probably get me." He urged other men to catch it before it's too late.

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Rachel Maddow -

MSNBC anchor Rachel Maddow revealed that she had a cancerous mole removed from her neck. The 48-year-old shared that the doctors "got all of it" and that she's "going to be totally fine." She took a few days off work to rest after the small procedure and is feeling well. Maddow advised viewers that have moles like hers to get them checked regularly with their doctor to make sure such issues are caught early. She credited her partner, Susan Mikula, for noticing that the moles on her neck were changing appearance, which is often a telltale sign of a more serious issue.

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Mark Hoppus -

Blink-182's Mark Hoppus has shared some wonderful news with his fans! After a six-month battle, the beloved bassist has revealed that he is now cancer-free. Hoppus was diagnosed with stage 4 diffuse large B-cell lymphoma in the spring and has been undergoing treatment ever since. On Wednesday, September 29, he shared that he'd met with his oncologist and been given the all-clear. He wrote on social media, "Thank you God and universe and friends and family everyone who sent support and kindness and love. Still have to get scanned every six months and it'll take me until the end of the year to get back to normal but today is an amazing day and I feel so blessed."

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Mark Hoppus -

Hoppus opened up about his cancer diagnosis during a Twitch livestream in which he answered questions from fans. "My cancer's not bone-related, it's blood-related," Hoppus said, according to E! News. "My blood's trying to kill me." Hoppus revealed that he has stage 4 diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, "which means, as I understand it, it's entered four different parts of my body." He continued, "I don't know how exactly they determine the four-part of it, but it's entered enough parts of my body that I'm Stage 4, which I think is the highest that it goes. So, I'm Stage 4-A." Hoppus remained positive, however, and said in the livestream: "We're beating this cancer. It's just a matter of time."

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Willie Garson -

Fans were devastated at the unexpected news that actor Willie Garson had passed away on September 23, at the age of 57. His family later revealed that the 'Sex and the City' star had been battling pancreatic cancer and sadly succumbed to the illness this year. Garson's 21-year-old son Nathen shared the news of his passing on Instagram with an emotional tribute, saying "You'll always be with me. Love you more than you will ever know and I'm glad you can be at peace now."

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Jeff Bridges -

The actor revealed that he had been diagnosed with lymphoma in October, 2020. "I feel fortunate that I have a great team of doctors and the prognosis is good. I’m starting treatment and will keep you posted on my recovery," he tweeted at the time.

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Jeff Bridges -

Nearly a year after his cancer diagnosis, Bridges revealed that he is now in remission. It was scary times, especially because he had also tested positive for coronavirus."My cancer is in remission—the 9x12 mass has shrunk down to the size of a marble," he wrote on his website. "My COVID is in the rearview mirror."

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Stanley Tucci -

In a new interview for the September 2021 issue of Virgin Atlantic's Vera magazine, the actor opened up for the first time about his experience with cancer three years ago after being diagnosed with a tumor at the base of his tongue. After radiation and chemo, he's now in remission.

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Sofía Vergara -

Years before receiving her big break on 'Modern Family,' the star was diagnosed with a life-threatening illness as a single mother. Vergara opened up on the Stand Up To Cancer's 2021 telecast on August 21: "At 28 years old during a routine doctors visit, my doctor felt a lump in my neck," she recalled. "They did a lot of tests and finally told me that I had thyroid cancer. When you're young and you hear that word cancer, your mind goes to so many places, but I tried not to panic and I decided to get educated. I read every book and found out everything I could about it." Fortunately, she caught it early and had the support of her family and doctors. "I learned a lot during that time, not just about thyroid cancer, but I also learned that in times of crisis, we're better together," she said.

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Hugh Jackman -

Hugh Jackman has been open about his history of skin cancer, and recently he's had to get another irregular spot on his nose biopsied. The actor posted a video updating his fans and showing the band-aid, sharing his advice which he wished he'd followed himself as a kid growing up in sunny Australia. "Please get skin checks often, please don’t think it can’t happen to you and, above all, please wear sunscreen," he said.

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Hugh Jackman -

In 2013, the 'Wolverine' actor was diagnosed with a basal cell carcinoma on his nose. The actor praised his wife for pushing him to get the spot checked, which turned out to be malignant. Jackman now gets regular checks and reportedly never leaves the house without plenty of SPF.

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Kathy Griffin -

Kathy Griffin took to Instagram on August 2 to share some difficult news about her health: "I have cancer. I'm about to go into surgery to have half of my left lung removed. Yes, I have lung cancer even though I've never smoked!" The comedian said that her doctors are "very optimistic" since it's stage 1 cancer and contained to her left lung, though she underwent surgery to remove it. "Hopefully no chemo or radiation after this," she wrote. She added that thankful she's fully vaccinated, and urged her followers to stay up to date on their medical check-ups: "It'll save your life."

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Christiane Amanpour -

Christiane Amanpour had been absent from her post as CNN's chief international anchor for weeks, but on June 14 she returned to inform viewers that she has been diagnosed with ovarian cancer. "I've had successful major surgery to remove it, and I'm now undergoing several months of chemotherapy for the very best possible long-term prognosis, and I'm confident," Amanpour said. She also highlighted the huge numbers of women affected by ovarian cancer, adding that she wants to "urge women to educate themselves on this disease; to get all the regular screenings and scans that you can; to always listen to your bodies; and of course to ensure that your legitimate medical concerns are not dismissed or diminished."

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Jesse Tyler Ferguson -

The 'Modern Family' star shared an important message on Instagram after a routine check-up with his dermatologist. "Reminder to stay up to date on your dermatology checks," he wrote in his post on June 7, "especially if you’re fair like me. I always wind up getting something taken from me, every time I go. Today, they took a bit of skin cancer that they found." Despite the concerning news, the actor reassured his fans that he's in good health and reminded everyone to wear sunscreen, adding, "SPF 1000 for me!"

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Ronnie Wood -

The Rolling Stones guitarist revealed he is cancer-free again after having secretly battled the disease for the second time during the pandemic. "I’ve had cancer two different ways now," the rocker told British news outlet The Sun on April 26. "I had lung cancer… and I had small-cell more recently that I fought in the last lockdown." Fortunately, Wood said he's received "the all-clear" from his doctors and is now cancer-free.

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Ronnie Wood -

In early 2017, Wood was diagnosed with lung cancer. The heavy smoker told The Daily Mail that he did not believe chemotherapy would work, but did have surgery to remove part of his lung.

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Helen McCrory -

On April 16, 2021, Damian Lewis confirmed on social media that his wife Helen McCrory had passed away at the age of 52. "I'm heartbroken to announce that after a heroic battle with cancer, the beautiful and mighty woman that is Helen McCrory has died peacefully at home, surrounded by a wave of love from friends and family," the actor wrote on Twitter. "She died as she lived. Fearlessly." During her fruitful Hollywood career, McCrory developed a significant fan base thanks to her roles as Polly Gray in 'Peaky Blinders' and as Narcissa Malfoy in the 'Harry Potter' franchise.

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Dustin Diamond -

Dustin Diamond, who played the beloved nerd Samuel "Screech" Powers on the hit sitcom 'Saved by the Bell,' was diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer in 2021 and had already started chemotherapy, but on February 1 he passed away due to carcinoma, E! News reports. A rep for the actor said in a statement, "Dustin did not suffer. He did not have to lie submerged in pain. For that, we are grateful."

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Shannen Doherty -

After years of remission, the 'Beverly Hills, 90210' and 'Charmed' actress revealed on February 4 that her breast cancer has returned at stage four. She was first diagnosed with breast cancer in 2015.

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Alex Trebek -

'Jeopardy' host Alex Trebek announced in March 2019 that he had been diagnosed with stage 4 pancreatic cancer. After a successful round of chemotherapy, he unfortunately suffered a setback and had to restart the chemotherapy. He passed away on November 8, 2020.

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Angelina Jolie -

After learning she had the BRCA-1 gene, Jolie decided to undergo a preventative double mastectomy in 2013.

It's also been reported that the star found a benign ovarian tumor in 2015 and had surgery to remove it.

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Kylie Minogue - The Australian singer was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2005. Her treatment lasted three years and she was subject to a partial mastectomy, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy.

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Robert De Niro - The movie star found out he had prostate cancer when he was 60 years old, in 2003. It was reported that the disease was caught in the early stages, which allowed for a full recovery.

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Michael Douglas -

Douglas, who has a career that spans over 50 years, opened up about his cancer battle in 2010, which was later revealed to be tongue cancer.

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Jane Fonda - The Oscar-winning actress discovered a small tumor in 2010. Her cancer was non-invasive and she needed surgery, but didn't have to undergo chemotherapy or radiation.

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Olivia Newton-John - The legend from 'Grease' discovered the disease in 1992. She said that she feels very lucky and grateful to be a breast cancer survivor, and that she sees it as a gift.

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Ben Stiller - In 2014, 'Zoolander' actor Ben Stiller found out he had prostate cancer. A few months after his diagnosis, the star underwent surgery to remove his tumor. Stiller has reportedly been cancer-free since!

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Sharon Osbourne - The media personality was 50 when she was diagnosed with colon cancer. She had surgery to remove her colon and underwent chemotherapy, only to learn she had the BRCA gene in 2012, which led her to have a mastectomy.

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Sheryl Crow - The American singer was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2006, and undertook surgical intervention and radiotherapy.

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Cynthia Nixon - The 'Sex and the City' actress discovered she had the disease in 2006. It was a small tumor in her right breast. Treatment included surgery and radiotherapy.

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Dustin Hoffman - American actor and director Dustin Hoffman was diagnosed with throat cancer in 2013, at the age of 75, and has been reportedly treated and cured since.

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Julia Louis-Dreyfus - The creator of 'Veep' revealed her diagnosis in 2017 on social media. She went through chemo and a double mastectomy, and was declared cancer-free in late 2018.

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Ruby Dee - The actress, writer, and activist survived breast cancer, but died in 2014 of unrelated causes.

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Maggie Smith - The actress was told she had breast cancer at age 73. While she said that the treatment was worse than the disease itself, she did end up making a full recovery.

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Larry King - Talk show host legend (and heavy smoker) Larry King revealed he was about to start his third round of chemotherapy in September 2017. He also confirmed he had undergone surgery after finding out he had stage 1 lung cancer. Sadly, he passed in January 2021, at 87, after being hospitalized with COVID-19.

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Morrissey -

The former The Smiths front man revealed he had been battling cancer in 2014.

During an interview in 2015, Morrissey told Larry King that he had Barrett's esophagus, which is a gastroesophageal reflux disease that can turn into cancer.

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Kathy Bates -

The actress underwent a double mastectomy in 2012 after being diagnosed with breast cancer.

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Christina Applegate - The actress discovered that she had breast cancer in 2008 and underwent a double mastectomy.

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Edie Falco - The actress said that surviving breast cancer made her reevaluate her priorities in life.

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Rita Wilson - In 2015, the actress and wife of Tom Hanks told People magazine that she underwent a double mastectomy.

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Tig Notaro - "Hello, I have cancer," said the comedian in a performance that happened just days after her diagnosis.

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Peter Criss - Breast cancer affects all genders. Peter Criss of Kiss revealed that he was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2008, but ended up treating it before it could spread.

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Michael C. Hall - 'Dexter' star Michael C. Hall confirmed he had been battling Hodgkin’s lymphoma in 2010, just before the Golden Globes award ceremony. Hall was reportedly already in the final part of treatment.

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Delta Goodrem -

The Australian songstress was only 18 years old when she was diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma in the form a lump in her throat.

Radiation therapy and chemo made the star lose all her hair. May 2018 marked 15 years since the star's cancer diagnosis.

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Brigitte Bardot - The French actress and model was diagnosed in 1983 and refused treatment. She believed that her destiny was to die, but a friend later convinced her to get treated.

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Shirley Temple -

The actress and activist was one of the first famous women to speak publicly about having breast cancer, this back in 1972. She died in 2014 from unrelated causes.

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Wanda Sykes - The comedian was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2011, and had a double mastectomy to avoid chances of a recurrence.

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Anastacia - The singer was diagnosed with the disease twice and underwent a double mastectomy.

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Robin Roberts - The TV host says breast cancer was nothing more than a chapter in her life story, but it will never be her life story.

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Giuliana Rancic - The TV presenter discovered that she had breast cancer when she was undergoing fertility treatments in 2011. She ended up having a double mastectomy surgery.

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Hoda Kotb - Back in 2008, the 'Today' show news anchor was diagnosed with breast cancer. Hoda Kotb was very open about her journey with the disease, and how not having family history with the cancer doesn't mean you're safe.

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Melissa Etheridge - The singer confessed that she had never encountered anything as powerful as breast cancer.

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Gloria Steinem - The journalist and activist was diagnosed in 1986 and treated successfully.

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Kim Novak - The actress was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2010.

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Kim Gordon - The Sonic Youth singer encountered breast cancer while getting divorced. She recounted the experience in her memoir 'Girl in a Band.'

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Jaclyn Smith - The actress was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2002 and underwent a lumpectomy.

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Kate Jackson - Smith's 'Charlie's Angels' costar battled breast cancer in 1987 and 1989.

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Nancy Reagan - The Former First Lady of the United States was diagnosed with breast cancer and treated in 1987.

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Marianne Faithfull - The singer and actress said that she gained a new life after recovering from breast cancer.

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Rod Stewart -

In September 2019, the legendary musician revealed he had a two-year battle with prostate cancer, starting when he was diagnosed in 2016. He's since been given the all clear by doctors.

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Meet the stars who have battled cancer

The Wanted's Tom Parker dies age 33 after battle with brain cancer

31/03/22 | StarsInsider

CELEBRITY Health

British pop star Tom Parker has sadly passed away at the premature age of 33. His wife, Kelsey Hardwick, confirmed that he died on March 30 due to a brain tumor. He was diagnosed with stage four glioblastoma, a severe form of brain cancer, in October 2020 after suffering from seizures. He leaves behind two children, Aurelia and Bodhi, who are both under the age of three. Parker rose to fame as part of the boy band the Wanted in 2009. His bandmates have all expressed their devastation at the loss of their "brother."

It's estimated that 10 million people die of cancer every year, and nearly twice as many people are diagnosed with the disease. It's an incredibly common and often devastating illness that has touched most of us in one way or another. Even still, it's surprising to learn just how many famous faces have battled cancer. Thankfully, many of them have lived to tell the tale and inspire us with their perseverance in the face of such adversity.

Click through the gallery to learn more about the stars who won their battles with cancer, the ones who have not won the fight yet, and the unlucky few who ultimately lost theirs.