'Housewives' Kathryn Joosten's Cancer Returns

NEW YORK — Kathryn Joosten (JOO'-sten), who plays the crotchety Karen McCluskey on ABC's "Desperate Housewives," is battling a recurrence of lung cancer.

Joosten's publicist, Thomas DeLorenzo, says a spot on the left lung was detected during a recent physical.

He says the 69-year-old actress started smoking when she was 16 but quit after her first lung cancer diagnosis in 2001.

Joosten wants to alter the perceptions that people with lung cancer did it to themselves. She says that stigma combined with denial that it kills as many as 450 people every day "creates an environment in which no diagnostics or treatments can be developed."

Joosten also appeared on "The West Wing."

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Comments

[mheister]

After whipping out my calculator, I determined that Ms. Joosten started smoking around 1956. Within a decade after that, the warnings about the medical dangers of tobacco were very clear, even if the tobacco industry was still willfully pushing denial.

Not everyone who smokes gets lung cancer. Not everyone who gets lung cancer is a current or former smoker. However, Ms. Joosten herself acknowledged the link at least tacitly when she quit smoking after her initial lung cancer diagnosis in 2001. And certainly, the voluntary nature of entering into the addiction of tobacco should be no deterrent to research on treatment and cures.

However, as there is a clearly-established link between tobacco smoking and lung cancer, and Ms. Joosten herself contracted lung cancer after more than four decades of smoking, if she honestly believes she carries no responsibility whatsoever for the disease she contracted, I'd have to pose the Barney Frank question to her: What planet are you from???

Further, as for Ms. Joosten's concern that the attitude that smoking-relating are self-inflicted "creates an environment in which no diagnostics or treatments can be developed", don't worry, the American Cancer Society and the American Lung Association are on the case.

Full disclosure - My views on SAG-related issues vary sharply from Ms. Joosten's. She is an active poster at: http://more.showfax.com/bbs2/viewforum.php?f=8

Despite our differences, I wish Ms. Joosten a full and speedy recovery.

[Nightngle]

Please be sure to let us all know when you get sick/injured so we can kick you when you're down, but toss in a "speedy recovery" at the end. How did people become so cold?

[Greg Stroud]

You my sir are an idiot! She could have gotten without smoking---I did-as do 15-20% us---and yet my mother smoked like a smoke stack for 60 years as my older brother still smoke and nothing-no cancer....how do you explain that---must be in the genes----

[Thomas DeLorenzo - Huffpost Blogger]

As Ms. Joosten's publicist, i am making these comments on her behalf:

Quote:
I determined that Ms. Joosten started smoking around 1956. Within a decade after that, the warnings about the medical dangers of tobacco were very clear, even if the tobacco industry was still willfully pushing denial.

Your right, I started in 56 and you’re near right about the tobacco companies. I think that is also when they began to develop the additives to the tobacco which increased the addictive properties of the stuff.

Not everyone who smokes gets lung cancer. Not everyone who gets lung cancer is a current or former smoker. However, Ms. Joosten herself acknowledged the link at least tacitly when she quit smoking after her initial lung cancer diagnosis in 2001.
Quote:
And certainly, the voluntary nature of entering into the addiction of tobacco should be no deterrent to research on treatment and cures.

Of course I acknowledge the link. I never denied it. I was never 'tacit' about it. If it's no deterent why bring it up except to indicate that somehow the 'voluntary nature' of teh addiction lessens the impact of the disease.

[Thomas DeLorenzo - Huffpost Blogger]

Quote:
However, as there is a clearly-established link between tobacco smoking and lung cancer, and Ms. Joosten herself contracted lung cancer after more than four decades of smoking, if she honestly believes she carries no responsibility whatsoever for the disease she contracted, I'd have to pose the Barney Frank question to her: What planet are you from???

How do you arrive at the conclusion that I have denied any responsibility for my cancer? Why does that make a difference? Your total implication is that because I participated in behavior that resulted in cancer, it’s not as devastating? As painful? As fatal? Or are those considerations just not as significant for someone “who did it to themselves” What about those with heart attacks due to athrosclarosis? How about stage 2 diabetes due to bad diet and overweight?

Quote:
Further, as for Ms. Joosten's concern that the attitude that smoking-relating illnesses are self-inflicted "creates an environment in which no diagnostics or treatments can be developed", don't worry, the American Cancer Society and the American Lung Association are on the case.

[Thomas DeLorenzo - Huffpost Blogger]

Here’s a little information about how the ACS and the ALA are “one the case”

Estimated cancer death 2009 152,390
Over 60% of new cases never smoked or quit decades ago.
One in 5 women and one in 12 men diagnosed have never smoked
(Lung cancer alliance.org)

[OpusIsUnderTheBed]

She's an exceptional actress. One of my favorest characters on West Wing. I hope things progress positively for her.

[Conk]

I hope she doesn't submit to poisonous chemo and radiation. If so, she will die. Not from the cancer, but from the chemo!

[Hope2]

OR sometimes chemo actually saves a persons life.

I can't begin to tell you how many people I have heard of that had stage I lung cancer, only had surgery and no chemo and it came back with a vengence. Now they're dead. Then you have the stage III and IV that haven't had surgery, had chemo and radiation and they're still here years later. Go figure, huh?

[truthartbeauty]

She is my favorite character on Desperate Housewives.

[Macready]

get well soon . . . you are fab . . .

[balancedsolution]

Message to all.. if you stop smoking.....DO NOT START UP AGAIN......this can CAUSE CANCER!

Happened to a family member! DO NOT RESTART!

[miriam525]

I lost a dear friend to lung cancer 25 years after he quit smoking. He never started again. The risk is always there. Don't start in the first place!

[Hope2]

Really?? So if a person quits and doesn't start up again they WON'T get cancer?? I think your family member would have gotten cancer whether they started up again or not.

[PatA]

I hope that she recovers from this.......she and Lily Tomlin are absolutely fabulous playing sisters on Desperate Housewives...plus she has a little mean streak going all by herself! Best wishes!!!

[BowlingForRevenge]

I loved her as Mrs Landingham on West Wing and see her doing those yogurt commercialsl
Don't watch DH at all so I don't know that character.
Lung cancer is a persistant SOB.
I wish her strength and a cure and my prayers are with her.

[SharonaMonk]

Get well soon!!

[skipling]

`My thoughts and prayers go out to this very neat lady. She is one of my favorites, and it's probably because her humor and humanity shine through.

[raker]

She says that stigma combined with denial that it kills as many as 450 people every day "creates an environment in which no diagnostics or treatments can be developed."

Brava Kathryn Joosten! Throughout the recent fight for universal access to health care, I've been shocked at the vitriol people have for sick people "who brought it on themselves." People cling to the magical idea that good health is a quid pro quo arrangement: virtue is rewarded with good health, and transgressions are punished with bad. Where cancer is concerned, stigma and denial are the American way. That's why so few people know about cancer when strikes their family. Best of luck to Ms. Joosten.

And I hate to break it to the smug teetotalers and nonsmokers and gym rats pointing fingers at others, but one day, most likely around age 78, they're going die too. Some of them will get cancer or heart disease or some other ghastly disease along the way, because sometimes disease just happens, and magic won't keep it away.

[lukebenward]

Wish you the best. PROOF that smoking kils!!!!!!!!!!! Don't start smoking. If you already do, quit.

[alsm9]

It's not proof. My cousin had lung cancer and went through a double lung transplant last year. She is a non-smoker. It's possible that Kathryn Joosten would have developed lung cancer regardless because studies have show there is a possibility of a genetic link. Smoking's not good for you and no one should start...but this is not proof that smoking kills. Plus, she's not dead so I'm not sure where you think the proof is.

[Titus]

Mrs Landingham!

[goodgravy]

i know. i didn't know she had a prior diagnosis. that's probably why the killed her off so fast on the west wing, which i hated. did love her replacement, tho.

[OttoMann]

Actually, no. She and my sister are good friends -- Kathy was surprised and very unhappy when they killed off her character. She had finally landed the role of a lifetime, and then bam! Fortunately, she had garnered enough attention and accolades to get cast in future roles, including Desperate Housewives.

Stay strong, Kathy!

[takingbkourcountry]

I wish her the best. I have been a fan of hers over various shows, and laughed at her character on
'Desperate Housewives'. Take strength from friends and colleagues

[ChicagoSuz]

I agree. I'm keeping her in my thoughts & prayers for a speedy and complete recovery...

[katielady]

am a fan of Kathryn. wish her well and a fast recovery...