'Desperate Housewives' Actress Fighting Second Round of Lung Cancer

By PopEater Staff Posted Sep 14th 2009 05:50PM

Emmy-winning actress Kathryn Joosten was recently diagnosed with lung cancer, but the 'Desperate Housewives' star is prepared to battle the disease with everything she's got. Joosten, who plays cranky neighbor Mrs. McCluskey on the hit ABC show, tells PEOPLE, "I've got a little hang-up here, but we're going to handle it and move forward. I'm doing great."

Joosten was a cast member on 'The West Wing' when she won her first battle against cancer in 2001. The actress, 69, informed her 'Housewives' producers that the cancer had resurfaced Monday morning. "They're totally supportive," she says, acknowledging that her shooting schedule might be interrupted by treatment of the disease. "I said, 'If you want to put it in the story line, do it! Tell anybody you want, because the public's going to know.' "

Joosten received the bad news from doctors less than a week ago, after an annual physical exam revealed a spot on her lung. "I felt like the legs had been pushed out from under me," she says. "I completely did not expect it, and was devastated. I was crying for nearly five days straight."

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Celebrity Health Scares

'Desperate Housewives' and 'The West Wing' star Kathryn Joosten is fighting lung cancer. The actress survived a battle with the disease in 2001.

Getty Images

Celebrity Health Scares

'Desperate Housewives' and 'The West Wing' star Kathryn Joosten is battling lung cancer. The actress survived a battle with the disease in 2001.

Getty Images

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Joosten, who regularly speaks about her experience as a cancer survivor, honored a previously scheduled engagement the very next day. The actress gave a talk in Oklahoma City to an audience of 600, and says that she'll continue to speak out as she fights cancer for the second time.

"To get back in control, I have to attack. I have to make this something that I can have an effect on," she says.

Her voice is important, she says, because lung cancer's association with cigarettes causes many to blame the victims for their own suffering. "The first thing everyone says is, 'Did you smoke?' Yeah, I smoked," says Joosten. "I smoked because Betty Davis said it was very glamorous. I smoked because it was seen everywhere and done everywhere. I got addicted because the tobacco companies add additives to their tobacco to make it more addictive. I'm damned mad at all of them. But that stigma has to go away."

Joosten concludes, "No one deserves lung cancer."

Tags: kathryn joosten, KathrynJoosten

Comments

(47)

Monday 14 September

By Rose

Highest Rank Vote down Vote up Report this

Kathryn you are a tough cookie and attitude is everything. You go get it girl!!

Tuesday 15 September

By Sue

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Kathryn hit the nail on the head with her assessment of the problem of smoking. People who want to remove smoking images from kids movies (over half of youth report this is why they start), eliminate smoking in parks, playgrounds, restaurants, and other public areas, are accused of impinging on the rights of smokers. All this exposure to smoking is why most kids start (most smokers start before age 21), and they stay addicted because of the manipulation of the nicotine levels. So many lives destroyed by cigarettes, but kids have a better chance today because of the efforts to reduce exposure. Please support these efforts in Kathryn's honor!

By Lori

Ms. Joosten, good luck to you in your fight! I know that your positive attitude will carry you through the hardest times. I have enjoyed your work for years...take care of yourself!

By martha

i lovelovelove you kathyrn joosten -- prayers are going up for you -- you are the best!!!

By John

Keep up the good fight. Anyone that has had cancer or had a loved one with it know that first you have to attack it with positive energy. You have to fight like you have never had to before. Keep positive!

By Kerr Avon

Low Ranked Vote down Vote up Report this

Please fact check your articles, especially when doing a story concerning actors; it's BETTE Davis, NOT BETTY.

By judy

High Rank Vote down Vote up Report this

picky, picky, picky

By Bobby G

Thank you for that. Bette would be pleased and I am as incredulous as you that someone who writes for PopEater wouldn't know how to properly spell one of the most famous names in Hollywood history. Jeez, there is even a huge hit POP song named after her! "Bette Davis Eyes" It was Bette who was in the famous scene with the leading man lighting two cigarettes in his mouth at the same time and then handing one to Bette. That was long, long before the cancer connection had been made and while cigarettes were heavily glamourized in Hollywood. I hope Joosten pulls through okay. She's a hoot on "Housewives." She makes a good point about the stigma due to lack of understanding of several generations raised in a culture of cigarettes that lasted for decades.

By robert

please try desperately to get a like

By Joe

I am sure Ms Davis had the dignity and grace to be more concerned about someone fighting lung cancer, than how the last letter of her first name is spelled in an article written about someone battling lung cancer !! Good luck to you Ms. Joosten. I am rooting for you.

By jan

Are you just your... Average MORON!!!
Who gives a Crap!!!
The lady has Cancer!
Say a prayer...God Bless!!!

By Pam

Kathyrn Joosten Is one of my favorite characters on Desperate Housewives and was on West Wing. She's a great actress and seems like a great person. I pray she'll win this battle with lung cancer, too. My prayers are going out to her.

By mrkoe

Best wishes to you for a full recovery. I am doing my 5th battle with cancer in 17 years.... Keep seeing yourself as the winner of the war.

By nettio45

I love her character on the shows she's been on. She sounds very courageous and someone you can look up to. This past week has been full of people who don't deserve any recognition or press they are given. I truly hope this strong, admirable woman wins this terrible battle called cancer.

By Cheryl

Ms. Joosten: I wish you all the luck in the world in fighting your illness. You are one of my favorite actors on Desperate Housewives. In fact, my kids (grownups) and I were recently saying how much we liked your character! We are praying for your quick recovery. Sincerely, Cheryl and family

By MJ

KATHRYN IS GOING TO KICK THIS.....SHE IS A STRONG WOMAN! GOT TO GIVE YOU CREDIT WITH YOUR HONESTY, I KNOW, IT'S NOT SO COOL ANYMORE. I LEARNED FROM MY PARENTS AND TV....THE BEST INFLUENCES,EH.
PRAYERS FOLLW YOU ALWAYS!
MARY

By racendirt

Kathryn's a wonderful actress. She has her own style and definitely won't get lost in the crowd. God bless her and I'll keep her in my prayers.

By rob mack

You are right about the smoking stigma; it doesn;t matter if you smoked for 25 yrs. or 25 days; your diagnosis will be "you smoked" and drs. never seem to look past that. No one deserves cancer or lung disease. Worse yet, get a genetic disease, similar to a smoking related disease, and still, the bottome line is, "it was caused by smoking".

By Eirodann

Keep your chin up! We're all rooting for you!

By Robin

I will remember Ms. Joosten in my mediations and prayers. My heart aches for her.

Sharing the story line, making Mrs. McCluskey have lung cancer too, seems like a good idea in order to raise awareness and to explain Joosten's inevitable changing appearance.

But I would think that would be emotionally rough on her and, to a lesser extent, her co-actors to have to live with the knowledge of this illness and the suffering in real time AND in 'on-set' time.

Whatever the producers decide, I will continue to watch, but I anticipate a bittersweet experience.

Let me mention that, although I have enjoyed every on screen minute of Ms. Joosten's character, one of the most enjoyable DH story lines for me was when Mrs. McCluskey and her sister, played by Lily Tomlin, became detectives. I had hoped there would be a spin off with them in a 'Murder She Wrote' type of drama infused with humor. I'll look forward to more humor from Mrs. McCluskey in the future.

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