What to know about deadly black tumor cancer as William Shatner reveals he beat stage 4 diagnosis

William Shatner is breaking his silence on a harrowing stage 4 cancer battle that came as his youngest child was fighting her own devastating health crisis.The 95-year-old actor revealed this week that he was diagnosed with melanoma that had spread to his lungs and brain in 2023 — about a year after his daughter, Melanie Shatner Gretsch, began treatment for metastatic breast cancer.“They said, ‘You got cancer.If you came in later, you would have been dead,’” Shatner told People. “I remember vividly thinking, ‘I don’t have the strength to take care of myself and lose my father at the same time,’” Melanie, 65, said. The frightening discovery came after Melanie noticed a lump on her father’s cheek while she was in the final stages of her own Stage 4 cancer treatment.The “Star Trek” star initially dismissed the growth after his family doctor told him it was nothing more than a blocked salivary gland.

But when the mass continued to grow, a plastic surgeon friend urged him to get it checked out.He eventually underwent surgery to remove the tumor on his face.

That was followed by two years of immunotherapy to target the cancer in his lungs and brain.Today, the father-daughter duo are both cancer-free — and they’re turning their shared experience into a new health, wellness and longevity podcast, “No Time but Now,” launching July 29.The pair will interview health experts and other survivors on the show.“We’re a very together family,” Shatner said.

“We’re bonded by all kinds of difficulties that we’ve overcome.”The news of Shatner’s melanoma diagnosis comes amid a string of high-profile Hollywood cases involving the devastating disease, which literally translates to “black tumor.”“Real Housewives of Beverly Hills” alum Teddi Mellencamp was diagnosed with advanced melanoma in 2022, and by 2025, the cancer had metastasized to her lungs and brain.Just last week, she shared an emotional update with fans, revealing th...