Beating the odds: Inspiring stories of cancer survivors in 2024
Biden announces millions in grants to fight cancer
President Joe Biden is zeroing in on the policy goals closest to his heart now that he’s no longer seeking a second term, visiting New Orleans on Tuesday to promote his administration’s "moonshot" initiative aiming at dramatically reducing cancer deaths.
Cancer remains one of the leading causes of death, and it affects 1 in 3 people in the United States, according to the American Cancer Society.
The society also says more than 18 million Americans with a history of invasive cancer were alive in January 2022, most of whom were diagnosed many years ago.
What is cancer?
According to society, cancer is a collection of abnormal cells that don't' die as they should and start to crowd out normal cells.
While cancer has claimed many lives, several people have beaten cancer in 2024:
Kate Middleton
Full video: Kate Middleton confirms cancer diagnosis
Catherine, the Princess of Wales, said Friday she has cancer and is undergoing chemotherapy. The video announcement came after weeks of speculation spread on social media about her whereabouts and health since she was hospitalized in January for unspecified abdominal surgery.
In September, Kate, the princess of Wales, revealed that she had completed chemotherapy and returned to some public duties.
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Kate announced in March that she was being treated for an undisclosed type of cancer.
"It has been an incredibly tough couple of months for our entire family, but I’ve had a fantastic medical team who have taken great care of me, for which I am so grateful," she said in a video released by the palace.
Jenna Fischer
Actress Jenna Fischer celebrated a major health milestone in October and announced she was "cancer free" nearly one year after receiving a breast cancer diagnosis.
In honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, "The Office" star shared her journey from diagnosis through recovery in a series of posts on Instagram.
"I never thought I’d be making an announcement like this but here we are," she wrote on social media. "Last December, I was diagnosed with Stage 1 Triple Positive Breast Cancer. After completing surgery, chemotherapy and radiation I am now cancer free."
Dolph Lundgren
"Rocky IV" star Dolph Lundgren is celebrating his health this holiday season.
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The Swedish-born actor posted an update from his hospital bed before surgery in November, announcing he is "finally cancer free with gratefulness and excitement for a bright future."
Lundgren was first diagnosed with cancer in 2015 when doctors found a tumor in his kidney. The doctors were able to remove the tumor, and he remained cancer-free for five years.
During the interview on "In Depth With Graham Bensinger," he revealed doctors found a "few more tumors around the area" in 2020 and removed six additional tumors, but one had grown into the "size of a lemon" in his liver, and doctors were unable to remove it.
What are the latest advances in fighting cancer?
The next big advance in cancer treatment could be a vaccine. After decades of limited success, scientists say research has reached a turning point, with many predicting more vaccines will be out in five years.
These aren’t traditional vaccines that prevent disease, but shots to shrink tumors and stop cancer from coming back. Targets for these experimental treatments include breast and lung cancer, with gains reported this year for deadly skin cancer melanoma and pancreatic cancer.
Cancer vaccines, like other immunotherapies, boost the immune system to find and kill cancer cells. And some new ones use mRNA, which was developed for cancer but first used for COVID-19 vaccines.