William Shatner and his daughter, Melanie Shatner Gretsch, revealed they battled stage 4 cancer at the same time.<\/p>\n
The pair \u2014 who are both now cancer-free \u2014\u00a0said in a new interview with People<\/a> that Melanie, 61, was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer in 2022 after she discovered a lump in her breast.<\/p>\n A year later, the 95-year-old actor learned he had stage 4 melanoma that had spread to his lungs and brain.<\/p>\n William Shatner and his daughter, Melanie Shatner Gretsch, revealed they battled stage 4 cancer at the same time in a new interview with People. People<\/p>\n Melanie was diagnosed with stage 4 breast cancer in 2022, while William was diagnosed with stage 4 melanoma in 2023 (both seen above in 2006). WireImage<\/p>\n Melanie said she\u00a0underwent multiple rounds of chemo with HER2-targeted therapies, a double mastectomy and 30 radiation therapy treatments over the year and a half after her diagnosis.<\/p>\n But Melanie admitted she was more concerned with William\u2019s health.<\/p>\n \u201cI remember vividly thinking, \u2018I don\u2019t have the strength to take care of myself\u00a0and\u00a0lose my father at the same time,\u201d she told the outlet. <\/p>\n Melanie (seen above in 2000) underwent chemo, a double mastectomy and radiation therapy treatments. Getty Images<\/p>\n William (seen above in March 2026) had surgery to remove a tumor on his face and then underwent two years of immunotherapy to target the cancer that spread to his lungs and brain. Getty Images<\/p>\n William explained that when Melanie was close to finishing her treatment, he noticed a lump on his cheek that turned out to be a growing tumor.<\/p>\n The \u201cStar Trek\u201d icon had surgery to remove the tumor and then underwent two years of immunotherapy to target the cancer in his lungs and brain.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cWe got the perfect doctors for her cancer and my cancer,\u201d\u00a0William shared.<\/p>\n Melanie, who has two children with husband Joel Gretsch, said her dad \u201cwouldn\u2019t stop his life\u201d and \u2018kept working and moving forward\u201d during his cancer battle.<\/p>\n \u201cWhenever he was home, Joel and I would bring dinner to him and watch movies, just always made sure that he\u2019s not alone,\u201d she recalled.<\/p>\n William and Melanie (seen above with his Liz Jensen in 2000) are both now cancer-free. Getty Images<\/p>\n Melanie (pictured above with William and her sister Lisabeth in 1990) said the father-daughter duo leaned on each other for support during their cancer battles. Ron Galella Collection via Getty Images<\/p>\n Melanie also revealed William helped ease her concerns about the cost of her cancer treatments.<\/p>\n She recalled her dad telling her, \u201cI do not want you to worry. Just send me the bills.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThen you made me laugh so hard when I was still going to the doctor a year later,\u201d Melanie remembered. \u201cYou said, \u2018You\u2019ve got to get well. We\u2019re going to be in the poorhouse!\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n Melanie said William (seen above at the 2025 Saturn Awards) eased her concerns about the cost of her cancer treatments. Variety via Getty Images<\/p>\n Melanie (seen above with husband Joel and their daughters) recalled her dad telling her, \u201cI do not want you to worry. Just send me the bills.\u201d Getty Images<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\tWant more celebrity and pop culture news?\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tStart your day with Page Six Daily.\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\tThanks for signing up!\n\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n William and Melanie are now launching a new podcast called \u201cNo Time but Now\u201d <\/a>where they\u2019ll interview health experts and other cancer survivors.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s easy for us in this lovely home to say, \u2018Make your life meaningful.\u2019 It\u2019s much more difficult to be poverty-stricken and wonder how you\u2019re going to get through it. I\u2019ve been there,\u201d\u00a0William told People. \u201cBut it\u2019s also possible to endure that and be aware of the beauty around you.\u201d<\/p>\n Melanie said, \u201c[Overcoming cancer] changed my life. I\u2019m not so afraid anymore, and there\u2019s so much freedom and joy.\u201d<\/p>\n William, who first revealed his cancer diagnosis in 2023, admitted he\u2019s become \u201cfearful\u201d of death in an interview with TV Insider<\/a> earlier this month.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m always asking questions, because the older I get, the more fearful I will be to die with a question on my mind, like, \u201cWhat about\u2026,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n William (seen above at the 2026 Saturn Awards) is starting a podcast with Melanie to interview health experts and other cancer survivors. WireImage<\/p>\n The \u201cStar Trek\u201d icon (pictured above) first revealed his cancer diagnosis in 2023. williamshatner\/instagram<\/p>\n \u201cWhat\u2019s the meaning of life?! Damn; the meaning of life is \u2014 and boom! I\u2019m dead!\u201d he quipped. \u201cIt\u2019s the fear of not knowing what you could have learned. I get excited by comprehending and apprehending information.\u201d<\/p>\n