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‘Dark Knight’ Star Announces Cancer, Pope Francis Visits Oncology Ward and More

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From Colin McFarlane and John Homme opening up about their cancer diagnoses to Pope Francis visiting a pediatric oncology ward, here’s what’s happening in the cancer space this week.

The “Dark Knight” star announced that he was diagnosed with prostate cancer.

Colin McFarlane, a 61-year-old actor who is known for his roles in the “Dark Knight,” “Doctor Who” and “Outlander,” revealed that he was diagnosed with prostate cancer nine months after his brother was diagnosed with the disease.

The diagnosis came after McFarlane got a routine prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test, which he had undergone regularly after he learned about the prevalence of prostate cancer in Black men.

“It’s men who take no action and don’t know anything about their prostate health that are at the greatest risk,” McFarlane said, noting that since his disease was caught early, it does not require any treatment.

The frontman of Queens of the Stone Age opened up about his cancer experience.

John Homme, the frontman for the rock band, Queens of the Stone Age, recently spoke with “Revolver” about being diagnosed and treated for cancer over the last year, after undergoing a very public divorce and custody battle starting in 2019.

“Cancer is just the cherry on top of an interesting time period, you know? I’m extremely thankful that I’ll get through this, and I’ll look back at this as something that’s f—ed up — but will have made me better. I’m cool with that. There’s a lot of stuff I want to do. And there’s a lot of people I want to do that with,” he said. Homme underwent surgery to remove the cancer.

Pope Francis visited the pediatric cancer ward before being discharged from the hospital.

teddy bear, blocks, stethescope

Before being discharged from the hospital himself, Pope Francis visited the pediatric cancer ward.

Pope Francis, who recently underwent abdominal surgery to repair a hernia at Gemelli Hospital in Rome, visited the children’s cancer ward the day before he was discharged, according to a statement from the Vatican.

Photos from the visit showed the Pope, who is 86 years old, visiting with children, their families and the health care workers who treat them.

"At the end of the visit, the Pope went to the (Pediatric) Oncology and Children's Neurosurgery ward where the young patients – who have expressed their affection to the Pope in recent days through numerous letters, drawings and messages for a speedy recovery – are cared for,” Matteo Bruni, of the Holy See Press Office, said.

A cancer survivor rode in the NBA Nuggets’ parade.

Robert Plick, a cardiovascular technician who has faced three different types of cancer as well as heart failure and COVID-19, rode alongside the Denver Nuggets on their championship parade through downtown Denver to celebrate the first NBA championship in the team’s history.

In an interview with Colorado’s Fox31, Plick remembered when hospital leadership asked him if he’d like to participate in the parade:

“He comes up and goes, ‘Are you a Nuggets fan?’ And I’m like, ‘I’m a Nuggets fan from way back,’ and he says, ‘How would you like to be on the float?’ And I was like, ‘No way!'”

Plick said that he hopes his story will be an inspiration to other patients at the hospital who he tries to uplift and inspire daily.

“You can’t have the green grass that you see outside without the rain,” Plick said. “You can’t have the sunshine without the storms, and I say it’s God’s will I’m still here.”


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