Charlotte Rae beats pancreatic cancer - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

ontheroof · 02-20-2011, 01:14 AM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dJTsuLMeuxg

Chalotte Rae, familiar to millions of TV viewers as the housemother on the '80s sitcom The Facts of Life, was diagnosed in 2009 with pancreatic cancer, an often-silent killer with few if any symptoms until it is too late.

Some 40,000 new cases of pancreatic cancer are diagnosed each year, and by the time diagnosis is made, up to 80 percent of patients are no longer candidates for treatment.

"I had no symptoms," Rae says. "I had absolutely no symptoms. None whatsoever."

But Rae was, in a way, lucky. Because she had a family history of the disease - her mother, uncle and older sister all died from the disease - she underwent early screening, which detected the cancer at an early stage.

"We're working hard to develop tests for earlier diagnosis," says Howard Reber, M.D., director of the UCLA Pancreatic Cancer Program. The goal is to create something similar to the PSA test now done to detect prostate cancer in its early stages, before it has had a chance to spread. "In patients where we know that there's an increased likelihood of the development of the disease, we can screen them, we can get CT scans, we can get endoscopic ultrasounds," Dr. Reber says.

In Rae's case, the cancer was detected and found to be contained, but it was growing fast. Surgery was performed to remove the cancer, and now, following surgery and chemotherapy, Rae is cancer free.

Marvo301 · 02-20-2011, 01:52 AM

That's great news! I'm glad this was caught early while it was still very treatable!

Schmoopie · 02-20-2011, 04:52 AM

That's great news because this is just a horrible disease. Hopefully other people can beat it as well.

HuntingtonM15 · 02-20-2011, 05:07 AM

Glad to hear that she beat it. I was worried at first seeing "Charlotte Rae" and "pancreatic cancer" in the thread title.

catlover79 · 02-20-2011, 02:57 PM

Thank God!! Hopefully she'll be all right.

old grouch · 02-21-2011, 01:55 PM

Good for you, Charlotte!!!

Classicshowsgurl15 · 02-22-2011, 01:06 AM

I'm glad that she beat it and is okay.

PlayOn · 03-13-2011, 01:16 AM

early detection is the key. wtg, charlotte! nothing can hold you down.

<<mandy>> · 03-14-2011, 12:50 PM

wow. i had no idea. i remember watching the "cast confessions" on the bio channel back in '09 and thought she still looked pretty good. i had no idea she had cancer. well, thank god she beat it.

ssudioTVgirl · 03-14-2011, 01:11 PM

Good for Charlotte!

jayman75 · 01-27-2014, 01:18 PM

Charlotte talks about her cancer scare..

Vahan · 01-27-2014, 01:26 PM

Pancreatic cancer has killed people like Michael Landon and Patrick Swayze. Charlotte was lucky to defeat it.

tlc38tlc38 · 01-27-2014, 02:02 PM

Way to go, Mrs. G! She's truly a class-A act!

Nighthawk76 · 01-28-2014, 01:01 AM

An amazing woman!

OH Nuts! · 01-28-2014, 07:38 AM

She's a fantastic woman. God Bless her.

02-20-2011, 01:14 AM	#1
ontheroof Member Occasional Poster Join Date: May 10, 2004 Posts: 61	Charlotte Rae beats pancreatic cancer http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dJTsuLMeuxg Chalotte Rae, familiar to millions of TV viewers as the housemother on the '80s sitcom The Facts of Life, was diagnosed in 2009 with pancreatic cancer, an often-silent killer with few if any symptoms until it is too late. Some 40,000 new cases of pancreatic cancer are diagnosed each year, and by the time diagnosis is made, up to 80 percent of patients are no longer candidates for treatment. "I had no symptoms," Rae says. "I had absolutely no symptoms. None whatsoever." But Rae was, in a way, lucky. Because she had a family history of the disease - her mother, uncle and older sister all died from the disease - she underwent early screening, which detected the cancer at an early stage. "We're working hard to develop tests for earlier diagnosis," says Howard Reber, M.D., director of the UCLA Pancreatic Cancer Program. The goal is to create something similar to the PSA test now done to detect prostate cancer in its early stages, before it has had a chance to spread. "In patients where we know that there's an increased likelihood of the development of the disease, we can screen them, we can get CT scans, we can get endoscopic ultrasounds," Dr. Reber says. In Rae's case, the cancer was detected and found to be contained, but it was growing fast. Surgery was performed to remove the cancer, and now, following surgery and chemotherapy, Rae is cancer free.

02-20-2011, 01:52 AM	#2
Marvo301 I'm NOT a Blockhead! Forum Celebrity Join Date: May 17, 2002 Location: The Great White North Posts: 21,453	That's great news! I'm glad this was caught early while it was still very treatable!
	__________________ Only a life lived for others is worth living. Albert Einstein A life isn't worth living unless it has impact on other lives. Jackie Robinson Be always at war with your vices, at peace with your neighbors, and let each new year find you a better man. Benjamin Franklin

02-20-2011, 04:52 AM	#3
Schmoopie Keep Calm and Love Snoopy Forum Star Join Date: Jul 13, 2008 Location: Lynnwood, Washington Posts: 15,697	That's great news because this is just a horrible disease. Hopefully other people can beat it as well.
	__________________ In memory of my wonderful husband. I love and miss you more than words can say, but I will always and forever keep you in my heart. September 23, 1961-January 14, 2019

02-20-2011, 02:57 PM	#5
catlover79 God Bless Val Forum Addict Join Date: May 29, 2006 Location: Bewitched in Ohio Posts: 70,376	Thank God!! Hopefully she'll be all right.
	__________________ "Jesus loves you and He approves this message." "I'm alive. I'm feeling good. I'm trying to live every moment as much as I can." - Valerie Harper, March 2013

02-22-2011, 01:06 AM	#7
Classicshowsgurl15 Happy Days Senior Member Join Date: Jun 28, 2004 Location: California Posts: 2,088	I'm glad that she beat it and is okay.
	__________________ “All our young lives we search for someone to love, someone who makes us complete. We choose partners and change partners. We dance to a song of heartbreak and hope, all the while wondering if somewhere, somehow, there's someone perfect who might be searching for us.” - The Wonder Years

02-20-2011, 05:07 AM	#4
HuntingtonM15 That Bothers Me Moderator Forum Star Join Date: Jun 20, 2003 Location: Metro Detroit Posts: 11,060	Glad to hear that she beat it. I was worried at first seeing "Charlotte Rae" and "pancreatic cancer" in the thread title.

02-21-2011, 01:55 PM	#6
old grouch Member Senior Member Join Date: May 13, 2010 Location: montana Posts: 1,877	Good for you, Charlotte!!!

03-13-2011, 01:16 AM	#8
PlayOn ADHD: what I have not who I am Senior Member Join Date: Jun 17, 2006 Location: I'll never tell. :p Posts: 2,745	early detection is the key. wtg, charlotte! nothing can hold you down.
	__________________ Have you heard the ? Jesus saves!!!

03-14-2011, 12:50 PM	#9
<<mandy>> Banned Banned!! Occasional Poster Join Date: Mar 14, 2011 Location: new york Posts: 15	re: wow. i had no idea. i remember watching the "cast confessions" on the bio channel back in '09 and thought she still looked pretty good. i had no idea she had cancer. well, thank god she beat it.

03-14-2011, 01:11 PM	#10
ssudioTVgirl Member Occasional Poster Join Date: Oct 01, 2009 Location: New York Posts: 41	Good for Charlotte!

01-27-2014, 01:18 PM	#11
jayman75 I Love the 80s! Forum 3000 Club Member Join Date: Dec 27, 2000 Location: THE GREAT UNITED STATES Posts: 3,809	Charlotte talks about her cancer scare..
	__________________ A fan of quality, classic television comedies and holiday specials... The Wonder Years,The Golden Girls,Burns and Allen, The Mary Tyler Moore Show, Are You Being Served?, Family Guy, South Park, Designing Women, Dallas, The Facts of Life, Roseanne, Will and Grace, The Twilight Zone, Original Scooby-Doo, Murphy Brown, The Big Bang Theory... Talk to me about one of these shows, and I'm all yours...

01-27-2014, 01:26 PM	#12
Vahan Member Senior Member Join Date: Jan 14, 2008 Posts: 2,712	Pancreatic cancer has killed people like Michael Landon and Patrick Swayze. Charlotte was lucky to defeat it.

01-27-2014, 02:02 PM	#13
tlc38tlc38 Every day’s a Dolly day! Forum Star Join Date: May 02, 2008 Location: I’m just travelin’ thru Posts: 19,258	Way to go, Mrs. G! She's truly a class-A act!
	__________________ Give generously to them and do so without a grudging heart; then because of this the LORD your God will bless you in all your work and in everything you put your hand to. Deuteronomy 15:10 In loving memory of my best friend, my Mama.

01-28-2014, 01:01 AM	#14
Nighthawk76 Rachel Berry Forum Celebrity Join Date: Feb 28, 2003 Location: Illinois Posts: 23,254	An amazing woman!

01-28-2014, 07:38 AM	#15
OH Nuts! Member Forum King Join Date: Feb 15, 2005 Posts: 133,383	She's a fantastic woman. God Bless her.