Popular Celebrity Cancer Searches for August 2010

Celebrities with cancer continue to raise cancer awareness and the need for early screening. With nearly 1.6 million people predicted to be newly diagnosed with cancer in 2010, celebrity cancer news is highly popular and a platform for cancer education. Celebrity cancer survivors tend to inspire others to support cancer prevention and research programs. 

This month, Michael Douglas’s throat cancer diagnosis resulted in many learning more about laryngeal cancer. Actors, such as Dennis Hopper, and athletes and coaches, such as Denver Nuggets coach, Dennis Karl, raised awareness for the need for routine prostate cancer screenings. 

This month’s (August) top celebrity cancer searches that include a famous person by name are listed in popularity order below. You may be surprised by a few that make the list. 

1. "Dennis Hopper Cancer": At age 74, renowned actor Dennis Hopper, died from advanced prostate cancer on May 29, 2010. The last 5 months of his life were filled with media frenzy due to his cancer, his bitter divorce proceedings that were never finalized, and his last public appearance at the unveiling of his star on the Hollywood Boulevard Walk of Fame. 


2. "Abdul Jabbar Cancer": Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, one of the greatest college and professional basketball players of all time, announced in November 2009 that he had been diagnosed with chronic myeloid leukemia. This former Los Angeles Lakers center has set up Team Kareem, to promote Light the Night Walks, fundraisers held on fall evenings across the U.S. for blood cancer research. The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society sponsors these events.


3. "Michael C Hall Cancer": The "Dexter" star announced in January 2010 that he was undergoing treatment for Hodgkin's lymphoma. His wife announced in April 2010 that he was "fully recovered" and had returned to work. 


4. "Peter Criss Cancer": The original drummer for the rock band KISS is a male breast cancer survivor. Criss was diagnosed in 2008. As an advocate for male breast cancer awareness, he is putting his support behind the American Cancer Society's Making Strides Against Breast Cancer campaign. 


5. "Ronnie James Dio Cancer": Rock singer with the bands Rainbow, Black Sabbath, and Dio, died of stomach cancer on May 16, 2010 at age 67. Ronnie James Dio was probably best known for his lead singing for Black Sabbath, after replacing Ozzy Osborne in 1979.


6. "Darth Vader Cancer": David Prowse, the actor who played Darth Vader in the original Star Wars trilogy, announced in February 2010 that he has completed radiation therapy for prostate cancer. As an advocate, he is raising awareness of the benefits of prostate cancer screening. His prostate cancer was found very early after a routine screening that he underwent at the suggestion of a friend. 


7. "George Karl Cancer": Denver Nuggets Coach, George Karl, was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2005. Ever since George’s recovery, he has been advocating for a government supported national program to cure cancer. He was honored this summer with the Jimmy V Award for perseverance and received a standing ovation for his message. Besides going through his cancer experience, he has supported his son, Nuggets guard Coby Karl, through his thyroid cancer recovery in 2007 and his battle with throat cancer this past season.


8. "Lance Armstrong Cancer": Lance Armstrong is best known for winning the Tour de France seven consecutive times, after having survived testicular cancer. In 1996 he founded the Lance Armstrong Foundation for cancer research and advocacy.

Past blog entries on trending health topics on OrganizedWisdom or popular health searches on the Web:

10 Healthiest Foods
10 Trending Health Topics...Hot Off the Press
5 Trending Health Topics: Health Questions You're Too Afraid to Ask
10 Trending Health Searches: Crisis-Everywhere-You-Turn Edition (April 26-May 2)
5 Trending Health Topics: Healthy Skin Edition

By Julie Bohlen, MBA/HCM, ELS