'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)

Tuesday 15 September

By Paula

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I love Kathryn and feel her "Mrs. McCluskey" adds great humor to Desparate Housewives. I have great sympathy for people who began smoking back in the day when the dangers weren't at first completely known and then later even worse, were not publicized because of the tobacco companies being more concerned about their profit margins rather the the public's health. Today there is absolutely no excuse for people to begin a smoking habit when the risks are so well-known. These are the folks that it is hard to feel sorry for when they become ill. Kathryn, on the other hand, has not smoked in years and I wish her the very, very best in her continued fight against lung cancer.

By Bob

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Honey, we love ya'! Hang in there. You beat the monster once and, by golly, you will do it again!

By bettyking

I loved her in this role and I wish her the best. She is a joy to watch.

By Jane

I pray you recover completely and quickly. God Bless!

By Owen

I love Kathryn Joosten - even in the "Fiber One" commercials. Her cranky style is always fun to watch. My prayers and good wishes go out to you for your speedy recovery.

By Kathy

I love her too, really enjoyed her as "god" on Joan of Arcadia, my favorite role for her so far!! However, I too saw the same movies she saw, also saw both my parents smoke, (mom died from it, dad had heart attack and died from it, oldest brother died from it) I made MY choice never to smoke, despite all those negative role models, and same temptations. None the less, I will pray for her and hope she fights successfully!!! Sounds like she caught it early. Hard battle ahead, her indomitable spirit shall serve her well. God bless.

By MT

@MB: Don't mistake my compassion for the actress with my commentary of personal accountablity. They are not one in the same. You and many like you are so fake that it makes me scream! One minute you can have compassion for someone who is sick and admits that their behavior could have or maybe linked to the illness they have, but you turn that compassion off when a person; dare I say Mick Vick, admits his wrong & does the time for his crime and you and the like want the man to die over some dogs! WOW! I guess that's the result of a society where there are no absolute and everyone is right in their own eyes... We can disagree without being diagreeable. Shut-up...weak response!

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