Kathy Griffin reveals she has stage 1 lung cancer

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Griffin is estimated to be worth over $75million (£58million). She’s famous for hosting the reality show Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D-List and has won a Guinness World Record for starring in the most television stand-up specials. She has been working to improve her health since a stage 1 lung cancer diagnosis in August. The 61-year-old actress was given surgery and had half her left lung removed as part of her treatment. Griffin even managed to crack a joke in a video she shared on social media which shows her first walk.

Stage one lung cancer means the cancer is relatively small and hasn’t spread to other organs or into the limbic system.

Despite this, as in Griffin’s case, it may demand a lobectomy where a large part of the lung is removed.

In her recent video on social media, a heavy breathing Griffin announced the challenge of doing her first walk, but admitted that she is “a little nervous”.

As she starts walking around her home, she quickly takes a seat, humorously calling an end to the walk before getting back up and continuing the walk.

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“That was fantastic!” she joked.Most cases of lung cancer are caused by smoking.

In the UK, 72 percent of lung cancer cases are caused by smoking.

Close to the time of her diagnosis, she shared how she was “very optimistic” before surgery.

Unlike most lung cancer sufferer’s, Griffin wasn’t a smoker.

Despite this, she offered a warning on social media around the time of diagnosis.

“Please stay up to date on your medical checkups, It’ll save your life,” she wrote.

After the surgery, a representative revealed that it had gone well, although the star’s vocal cord had been altered and her voice affected because of an intubation tube.

Talking about the ordeal on Jimmy Kimmel’s show, the star explained how she didn’t “know why” she had a tumour.

“I’m cancer free,” she said when asked whether the surgery had removed the cancer entirely.

“I don’t know why, I had a tumor, right? And I’ve never smoked, and it was in there for 10 years.”

The star previously revealed she refused to take painkillers after her surgery.

How to prevent lung cancer

In the UK, approximately 47,000 people are diagnosed with lung cancer each year.

Most cases could have been prevented based on lifestyle changes.

“The risk of lung cancer increases with the length of time and number of cigarettes you’ve smoked. If you quit smoking, even after smoking for many years, you can significantly reduce your chances of developing lung cancer,” explains the Mayo Clinic.

Symptoms of lung cancer

Early lung cancer doesn’t show many signs but eventually, sufferers are likely to experience the following, according to the NHS:

• Cough up blood
• Continuous breathlessness
• Tiredness and weight loss that might not be explained
• Having a persistent cough
• Ache or pain when breathing or coughing.

Patients, such as Griffin, who had it for 10 years before being diagnosed, can have the condition years before it becomes apparent.

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