Comedian Kathy Griffin has revealed that she has been diagnosed with lung cancer despite “never smoking” and added that this will lead to the surgery and removal of her left lung. She shared on social media that the cancer is stage 1 and that it is “contained” to just the left lung.
“I’ve got to tell you guys something. I have cancer. I’m about to go into surgery to have half of my left lung removed,” she began in a lengthy note on social media. “Yes, I have lung cancer even though I’ve never smoked! The doctors are very optimistic as it is stage one and contained to my left lung.”
Kathy Griffin hopeful of cancer diagnosis
— Kathy Griffin (@kathygriffin) August 2, 2021
The 60-year-old says that she’s hopeful she won’t need chemotherapy or radiation and that following surgery, she “should have normal function with my breathing.” She adds, “I should be up and running around as usual in a month or less.” She added that she’ll be just fine, and ended her note by encouraging people to get vaccinated for COVID-19.
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“Of course I am fully vaccinated for Covid,” she continues. “The consequences for being unvaccinated would have been even more serious. Please stay up to date on your medical check ups. It’ll save your life.”
In shock, but not in denial
Griffin was hospitalized back in March 2020 with “unbearably painful” Covid-like symptoms. However, due to restrictions at the time, she wasn’t able to actually get tested for the virus. In a recent interview with Nightline, she reveals she was stunned to receive her official cancer diagnosis about two weeks ago.
“I was definitely in shock,” she says in the interview. “I’m still a little bit in shock — not denial — but I still like once a day I’ll just turn to like nobody next to me and go, ‘Can you believe this s–t? Is this a bitch or what?’”