Pierce Triumphs In Spite of Losses
- Irish actor Pierce Brosnan, 68, has a new film out next month, “False Positive,” in which he plays a doctor who treats Ilana Glazer.
- Brosnan lost his first wife and eldest daughter to ovarian cancer.
- Ovarian cancer symptoms may include extreme fatigue, abdominal swelling, and pain during sex.
Sharing the film’s trailer with his 1.5 million followers, Brosnan writes on Instagram, “False Positive Official Trailer. A mother's instincts are never wrong. #FalsePositiveHulu due June 25. @hulu”
Read MoreView this post on InstagramOne excited fan, @the_girl_who_have_lived, says, “I saw this trailer 13 hours ago! Can’t wait for premiere.” Another Brosnan fan, @piercebrosnanedit, says, “looking forward to this!” And one cinephile, @billydee3, smartly says, “Very ‘rosemary's baby’. Can't wait.”
Pierce’s Ovarian Cancer Losses
While Brosnan has enjoyed much continued career success, it has not been an easy road for him. The actor’s first wife, Cassandra, passed from ovarian cancer in 1991. And in 2013, Pierce and Cassandra's daughter, Charlotte, died of the same disease. Cassandra was 43 when she passed, and her daughter was even younger Charlotte passed at the too-young age of 41.
Ovarian cancer has been called "the cancer that whispers," due to its hard-to-detect symptoms. Dr. Beth Karlan, a gynecologic oncologist at UCLA Medical Center, explains in an earlier interview, "What we've found from multiple studies, it's this constellation of symptoms," she said. "If that's really happening and you're experiencing it every day, and they seem to be crescendo-ing, getting worse, even if that goes on for only two weeks, you should call your doctor."
Ovarian cancer symptoms may include:
- Feeling full earlier/decrease in appetite
- Feeling bloated
- Changes in bowel habits
- Pain in the pelvis
- Urinary symptoms, such as an urgent need to go
- Extreme fatigue
- Abdominal swelling
- Pain during sex
Ovarian Cancer: The Cancer That Whispers
Coping with the Loss of a Spouse to Cancer
Brosnan’s life has been touched by grief after losing his first wife and eldest daughter to cancer. Coping with such tremendous losses take time. Many people find therapy to be a helpful supplement to other ways of processing grief, like leaning on friends and family.
When she was in highschool, Camila Legaspi lost her mother to breast cancer. She says in an earlier interview how therapy helped her cope. She says, “Therapy saved my life. 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,” says Legaspi. “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.”
"Therapy Saved My Life": After Losing A Loved One, Don't Be Afraid To Ask For Help
Learn more about SurvivorNet's rigorous medical review process.