‘You Suffered Too Much’: Madonna Remembers Nick Kamen Who Passed at 59 After Battle with Bone Marrow Cancer; How To Cope With the Loss of a Friend

To be a friend of Madonna is to be honored by her, too; the legendary queen of pop lost her friend Nick Kamen to bone marrow cancer. He was just 59 when he passed. Kamen was a male model who famously appeared in a Levi’s laundrette commercial, and he had been called Madonna’s protégé. She penned his 1986 hit, Each Time You Break My Heart.

Madge shared a moving tribute to Kamen on Instagram, writing: “Its heart breaking to know you are gone. You were always such a kind, sweet human and you suffered too much. Hope you are happier wherever you are Nick Kamen.”

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What is Bone Marrow Cancer?

Kamen had been suffering from bone marrow cancer for years, The Daily Mail reports. He was reportedly diagnosed four years ago with the disease and passed away in his Notting Hill home on May 4. Bone marrow cancer is a kind of cancer that begins in the spongy tissue (the marrow) of the bones. Bone marrow’s primary function is to create blood cells; when cancer develops in the bone marrow, its function is impeded.

Related: Multiple Myeloma & Bone Health: What You Need to Know

Different kinds of blood and bone marrow cancer include multiple myeloma, lymphomas and leukemia. Kamen underwent a stem-cell transplant to treat his cancer. Bone marrow cancer is typically treated with medications, chemotherapy, corticosteroids, radiation or a stem-cell transplant.

Kamen’s older brother, Ronald Kamen, 65, told The Daily Mail of his brother’s final days, “His breathing was very shallow and he knew what was coming. He did fight it very hard. I was with him a few days ago. We have been able to see him, but only one at at time due to the pandemic. That made things a lot worse but he did have the cancer before all the lockdowns.”

What Can You Expect from a Bone Marrow Biopsy?

Coping with Loss of a Friend to Cancer

Losing a loved one to cancer is a difficult process, and can be helped by talking it out with others. If you’re coping with grief, consider reaching out to close family and friends, or a trained therapist.

Camila Legapsi was in high school when she lost her mother to breast cancer. In an earlier interview, she says therapy was a lifesaver during that time. “Therapy saved my life,” she says. “I was dealing with some really intense anxiety and depression at that point. It just changed my life, because I was so drained by all the negativity that was going on.”

Related: Treating Depression After a Cancer Diagnosis

“Going to a therapist helped me realize that there was still so much out there for me, that I still had my family, that I still had my siblings. The reality is, is when you lose someone, it’s really, really, really hard. And it’s totally OK to talk to someone,” says Legaspi.

"Therapy Saved My Life": After Losing A Loved One, Don't Be Afraid To Ask For Help

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