Scott Hamilton's Cancer & Brain Tumor Journey
- Retired figure skater, Olympic gold medalist and testicular cancer survivor Scott Hamilton, 65, recently admitted he feels blessed beyond his “wildest imagination” 40 years after his iconic 1984 Winter Olympics win in the Men’s Figure Skating Freeskate.
- Hamilton credits his wife Tracie for strengthening his relationship with God throughout life’s hard times.
- In addition to being a testicular cancer survivor, Hamilton is currently living with his third benign (noncancerous) brain tumor, which he is choosing not to treat unless it grows.
- The 1984 men’s Olympic figure skating champion was diagnosed with testicular cancer in March 1997. Thankfully, after going through treatment, by September of that year he was in remission.
- Naturally, a lot of people think “cancer” when they hear the word tumor. However, most brain tumors aren’t actually cancerous, like the tumors Scott Hamilton has been fighting since 2004. In fact, less than one third (about 27.9%) of brain tumors are considered malignant (cancerous), according to the American Brain Tumor Association.
Hamilton, a loving husband to Tracie Hamilton and dad of four, took to Instagram this month to commemorate his Olympic win, writing, “40 years ago today, on a podium next to my friends @brianorser and Jozef Sabovčík, my life changed forever.
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“It’s all been kind of miraculous, really.”
Looking back on how he was adopted and stopped growing at age 4, which his parents and doctors were unaware as to why [they learned years later it was likely due to a brain tumor], Hamilton, who needed a feeding tube to get nutrients as a child, explained, “My parents were shattered, just exhausted emotionally, financially. A physician told them they needed a morning off once a week to rest and recharge their batteries.”
Recounting when a rink opened up near his childhood home, he said, “All of a sudden I wasn’t just this odd, sickly kid with the tube in my nose. Pretty soon I realized I could skate as well as the best athlete in my grade. It was the first taste of self-esteem I ever had. Soon I wanted to be on the ice all the time.”
Somehow, Hamilton started growing again and his mom, Dorothy, had faith he would one day compete at the Olympics. Sadly, his mother—who he described as “the center of my universe”—later passed of breast cancer in 1997, but before her death, she found a couple to sponsor Hamilton’s skating career.
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Following his Olympic run, Hamilton joined the Ice Capades, and later helped create Stars On Ice. But in 1997, an uncomfortable abdominal pain led him to a hospital where he learned he had testicular cancer, which led him to launch a nonprofit for cancer research called Scott Hamilton CARES and The 4th Angel, an organization which connects survivors with cancer patients.
However, it wasn’t until he met his wife Tracie Robinson that his relationship with God strengthen.
He explained to People, “When you’re skating in front of millions, you pray. When you’re diagnosed with cancer, you pray. But when we started going to church together, it connected the dots for me. I knew all the things that had happened to me weren’t accidental.”
His new focus on faith allowed him to decided to “wait and stay strong” instead of treating his third brain tumor, adding, “I’m totally at peace with not looking at it again unless I become symptomatic.”
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As for why he says, “I’m blessed beyond my wildest imagination,” the reason is, he explained, “I was unwanted as a baby, and I got great parents. I got sick, and I found skating. I lost my mother, and I found my identity in her.
“Why would I ever look at these difficult times as anything other than strengthening times?”
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Scott Hamilton’s Journey With Cancer & Brain Tumors
Scott Hamilton, the 1984 men’s Olympic figure skating champion, was diagnosed with testicular cancer in March 1997.
Thankfully, after undergoing treatment, he was in remission by September of that year. According to The New York Times, Hamilton went through chemotherapy to reduce the size of his tumor (which was located in his abdomen and about the size of a two grapefruit) before having surgery in late June 1997. During surgery, the tumor and his right testicle were removed.
“The fear was beyond anything I had ever experienced,” Hamilton said of his cancer diagnosis during an interview with Coping magazine. “It was after I survived that I felt I could endure anything.”
And Hamilton was right; he could endure anything, including three brain tumors.
In 2004, he was diagnosed with a benign brain tumor known as a craniopharyngioma, which are benign tumors that grow near the pituitary gland, according to Johns Hopkins Medicine. Craniopharyngiomas are most commonly found in children between the ages of 5 and 14, however, adults over age 50 can also develop these tumors.
He had a successful surgery on his tumor, but in 2010, he was diagnosed with yet another benign brain tumor, and again in 2016.
But all the while, the skating star continued living his best life. He met his wife, nutritionist Tracie Robinson, now 64, in 1999, and they married two years later. He also has four children with Tracie (now Hamilton) two of whom they adopted from Haiti.
As of October 2021, Hamilton said he’s gone five years without any chemotherapy, though his brain tumor tends to oscillate between shrinking and growing. In a previous interview with SurvivorNet, Hamilton spoke about the attitude he’s taken during his cancer and tumor journey.
“I choose to make the most of each day by enjoying the people and moments that I’ve been given and I encourage everyone to remember that we don’t control the number of days we have on earth, we only control what we do with them,” he said.
Not All Brain Tumors Are Cancerous
Naturally, a lot of people think “cancer” when they hear the word tumor. However, most brain tumors aren’t actually cancerous, like the tumors Scott Hamilton has been fighting since 2004. In fact, less than one third (about 27.9%) of brain tumors are considered malignant (cancerous), according to the American Brain Tumor Association.
If a tumor is made up of normal-looking cells, then the tumor is benign. But these tumors may still require treatment, such as surgery. Because of this, they are often referred to as “non-malignant,” since the word benign can be misleading.
The most common type of non-malignant brain tumors are meningiomas, however, there are 120 different types of brain and central nervous system tumors, according to ABTA.
Oftentimes after an MRI, a biopsy will be performed on a brain tumor to determine its type. Sometimes, the results of imaging tests show that a tumor is likely to be non-malignant, and a biopsy is not necessary.
Understanding Brain Tumors
Brain tumors account for 85-90% of all primary central nervous system (CNS) tumors, according to the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO). In 2023, the ASCO estimated that 24,810 adults (14,280 men and 10,530 women) in the United States would be diagnosed with primary cancerous tumors of the brain and spinal cord.
The central nervous system consists of the brain and spinal cord and acts as the main “processing center” for the body’s nervous system. The normal function of the brain and spinal cord can become difficult if there’s a tumor putting pressure on or spreading into normal tissue close by.
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There are many different types of brain and spinal cord tumors and some of which are more likely to spread into nearby parts of the brain or spinal cord than others. Slow-growing tumors may be considered benign, however, even these types of tumors can lead to serious problems.
Meanwhile, symptoms of brain tumors, as a whole, are usually caused by increased pressure in the skull. This pressure can stem from tumor growth, swelling in the brain, or blockage of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), the American Cancer Society explains.
General symptoms may include:
- Headache
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Blurred vision
- Balance problems
- Personality or behavior changes
- Seizures
- Drowsiness or even coma
Additionally, MD Anderson Cancer Center notes that changes in the ability to smell can also be a sign of brain tumors, and, more specifically, “strange smells” can be a symptom of seizures, which can result from brain tumors.
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It’s important to note that these symptoms are not exclusive to brain tumors. Still, you should always speak with your doctor if you’re experiencing any health problems.
Understanding Testicular Cancer
A testicular cancer diagnosis is rare, but it is the most common form of cancer diagnosed in young men.
Depending on the stage, the disease is considered highly treatable. Treatment options can include chemotherapy and radiation, but often, the first line of treatment is surgery to remove the testicle, which contains the cancerous cells.
Dealing with the Shame that May Come with Testicular Cancer
Symptoms of testicular cancer can be subtle. Some people may even confuse the early symptoms, such as a small mass in their testicle, as an injury. But when these signs are dismissed, the cancer can grow and become worse.
Dr. Edwin Posadas, the medical director of the Urologic Oncology Program at Cedars-Sinai Cancer, previously told SurvivorNet that some men may even notice blood in their ejaculate as a result of testicular cancer. “This symptom is less common but always bad,” he said.
“It’s not uncommon to see men come in with masses on their scrotum and have inflammation of the scrotal wall; they develop pain as a result. A lump is the most common symptom of testicular cancer,” Dr. Posadas adds.
Men should regularly conduct self-exams of their testicles for anything unusual.
Testicular Cancer symptoms can include:
- Breast growth or soreness
- Early puberty in boys
- Low back pain (a potential symptom of advanced testicular cancer)
- Shortness of breath, chest pain, or a cough (a possible symptom of advanced testicular cancer)
- Belly pain (a possible symptom of advanced testicular cancer)
- Headaches or confusion (a possible symptom of advanced testicular cancer)
WATCH: Todd Rosenbluth shares his testicular cancer journey.
Turning to Faith During a Cancer Journey
For some people, turning to faith can be a great way to keep spirits high when cancer starts taking an emotional and/or physical toll. New York City Presbyterian Pastor Tom Evans previously spoke with SurvivorNet about the importance of find ways to cope with the complex web of feelings you may be experiencing after a cancer diagnosis.
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“It’s important to reach out in a simple prayer to God, even if you’ve never prayed before, you don’t know what to say, a heartfelt plea, ‘God, help me, be with me,'” Pastor Evans told SurvivorNet. “You can reach out to God and you can reach out to people, your friends and family and say, ‘I can’t do this on my own. I need you,’
“It’s in that willingness to be open and to receive that we can actually find something deeper that we never would’ve encountered without this hardship.”
For Sharonda Vincent, faith played a huge role in helping her get through her stage 2B breast cancer battle.
“I knew that if I just put my faith and trust in God, that I would be okay,” Vincent previously told SurvivorNet.
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She was diagnosed after finding a lump in her left breast the day before her thirtieth birthday with just over a month to go before her wedding. She initially felt like her concerns were dismissed by doctors, but follow-up tests confirmed Vincent’s worries.
“It was hard for me,” she said. “I felt as if I was being punished.”
Thankfully, chemotherapy, radiation and hormone replacement proved to be a successful treatment regimen for Vincent. Now, she wants others to be inspired by her story.
“If I had one piece of advice to give to someone who was newly diagnosed with breast cancer, that advice would be to not give up hope, to live every day as if it was their last day, to educate themselves,” she said. “I would let them know that it’s OK to cry.
“It’s OK to have days where they just want to be alone… But I would just push them to live a long, happy life because breast cancer it’s not the end of the world.”
Putting Your Trust In God
Monica Layton also believes in the power of faith during a fight with cancer. She turned to her church congregation for support as she battled ovarian cancer during the COVID-19 pandemic and then went through recovery.
RELATED: Can Turning To Faith Help You During A Cancer Journey? Some People, And Studies, Say Yes.
Ovarian cancer survivor Monica Layton shares how her church was her biggest support system
“[I’ve] gone to the same church for a long time, so it’s like another family that really supports me,” she told SurvivorNet in a previous interview. “We’re Episcopalian, and when I was having surgery my priest came to the hospital and stayed and prayed with my family the whole time and it was a long surgery. And then he came back to the hospital every day to pray with me.”
In addition to praying for her, Layton’s church also sent flowers, cards and a prayer blanket and often visited her.
“They were so kind,” Layton said. “I think my faith has been very important, crucial for me. Just the prayer really helps, I think.”
Layton is certainly not the only person who let faith carry her through after a cancer diagnosis. Experienced doctors, like Cedars-Sinai’s Dr. Zuri Murrell, will tell you that people who find a way to stay positive through treatment like through prayer really do end up doing better.
Dr. Zuri Murrell on Living in Gratitude
Contributing: SurvivorNet Staff
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