TV Icon Passed from Cancer at 72 Years Old
- Actor Telly Savalas lost his life from prostate and bladder cancer complications in his early 70s back in 1994.
- The Kojak star, who was also actress Jennifer Aniston’s godfather, died about five years after he was diagnosed.
- One of the biggest risk factors for urologic cancers like bladder cancer is smoking; nicotine toxins can linger in the bladder for a long time.
The Greek-American actor, who was diagnosed in 1989, passed away in his sleep at the Sheraton-Universal Hotel suite he had been living in in Universal City, Calif., according to spokesperson Mike Mamakos. "I loved him dearly. He was a wonderful man," Mamakos said.
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Savalas, a New Yorker who served three years in World War II, was born to immigrant parents, both from Greece. Although he made dozens of films, it was Kojak, the hit 1970s TV show, that he was the most well-known for, playing the title role of Lt. Theo Kojak, which earned him an Emmy award, though he was not new to the award show scene. Savalas already had an Oscar nomination under his belt from 1952’s Birdman of Alcatraz.
Telly’s Health Battle
The Kojak star had reportedly undergone treatment for prostate cancer at Huntington Memorial Hospital in Pasadena, per the L.A. Times. There are conflicting reports of whether the cancer started in his prostate or bladder, as all the media outlets reported prostate. However, his oldest daughter Christina Kousakis later detailed that it was bladder cancer, as reported by Cancer Today magazine, so it is possible he was affected in both areas, as bladder cancer can spread to the prostate and vice versa.
It is also important to note that there was also more confusion in the past about primary and secondary cancers, and there is more education and activism today in general in regards to getting cancer information out to the masses. Both bladder and prostate cancer are considered urologic cancers. Prostate cancer is easier to catch early, but symptoms can be similar for either type.
Learning About Bladder Cancer
Bladder cancer is the fourth most common cancer in men, but a bit less common in women. The American Cancer Society estimates there will be around 81,180 new cases of bladder cancer in 2022 (about 61,700 in men and 19,480 in women), and roughly 17,100 deaths from the disease (12,120 in men and 4,980 in women).
There is one major culprit associated directly with bladder canceraside from agingand that is smoking.
Dr. Jay Shah explains the risk factors for bladder cancer
“Cigarette, pipe, and cigar smoking represent the number one risk factor for bladder cancer,” says Dr. Jay Shah, a staff surgeon and associate professor of urology at Stanford University, as well as leader of Stanford's Cancer Care Program for Urologic Oncology. The National Institutes of Health report that about half of all bladder cancer cases are due to smoking.
One reason smoking is so harmful to the bladder is that the toxins in nicotine and its chemical compounds can linger in the bladder for a long time before they are removed from the body in urine.
"The first and foremost thing for a healthy bladder is, don't smoke," says Dr. Arjun Balar, director of the genitourinary oncology program at NYU Langone's Perlmutter Cancer Center. "And I think that's an obvious suggestion for a number of reasons. But if we can eliminate cancer risks that are related to smoking, that's probably the most important thing you can do."
When Bladder Cancer Spreads
Like any other cancer, bladder cancer can spread beyond the organ where it started. It can reach nearby lymph nodes, or other parts of your body.
A person can be diagnosed with an advanced bladder cancer initially, or treatment for some other cancer could reveal that the disease has spread to the bladder. Determining how the cancer formed will dictate treatment.
Related: Digital GuideBladder Cancer & Surgery
For the advanced stage of the disease, chemotherapy is the foundation of treatment for bladder cancer that has spread, but new immunotherapies are transforming the outlook for some people with this cancer.
Dr. Mark Tyson explains treatment options for bladder cancer that has spread
When bladder cancer has reached a late stage, surgery may not be an option. However, your doctor might recommend surgery to relieve symptoms and make you more comfortable.
"We have to take a systemic approach, which means treating the whole body," Dr. Balar explains in another interview with SurvivorNet. He adds that platinum-based chemotherapy is still the backbone of treatment for advanced bladder cancer. But increasingly, doctors are using immunotherapy.
Immunotherapy is a new type of treatment for advanced bladder cancer. It uses the power of your own immune system to fight your cancer. "Where immunotherapies actually have the greatest impact is in the people who are not eligible for cisplatin," Dr. Balar says.
Related: FDA Approves the First Major New Alternative to Surgery for Bladder Cancer in 20 Years
A group of immunotherapies called PD-1 and PD-L1 inhibitors block proteins on cancer cells. These proteins normally prevent T cells killer cells of your immune system from attacking them. "By doing so, the T cell is now reinvigorated and is able to do what it's supposed to do, which is to attack the cancer cell," Dr. Balar says.
The key, of course, is always staying on top of your health so you can catch any potential cancer early on before having to worry about advanced stage treatment. When you’re experiencing any sort of urinary pain or discomfort, it is best to always go check it out to rule out anything serious.
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