Charlotte Rae charmed television viewers years ago during her time on “The Facts of Life” and despite being mostly out of the limelight for many years now, the news that she has bone cancer has fans a bit rattled. Rae, 91, has battled cancer before and she is opening up about this new battle and what she plans in terms of treatment.
Rae opens up about prior cancer battle
“The Facts of Life” and “Different Strokes” star shared with People that she found out just days ago that she has bone cancer. Charlotte Rae details that she battled pancreatic cancer about seven years ago, and that is a tough type of cancer to beat.
She adds that her mother, sister, and uncle all died from that cancer, but after going through chemotherapy for six months, she went into remission.
However, now Rae has bone cancer and she shares that given her age, she isn't sure what she'll do in terms of treatment. Charlotte says that she's not in any pain at this point, and she adds that she's had a wonderful life. She shares that she is trying to decide whether to go through treatment again or embrace the time she has left without the difficulties that come from cancer treatments. Rae shares that she was slated to begin treatment already, but canceled and decided to think about it a bit more yet.
The actress has written about her past life challenges
Rae has had quite the colorful life, one she detailed in a memoir a couple of years ago. Charlotte wrote about having been sober for 44 years, and she detailed her experience of learning that her husband John Strauss was bisexual. The “Different Strokes” and “Facts of Life” star also lost a son Andrew to a heart attack in his mid-40s and he had faced autism and epilepsy prior to his death.
While Rae is known primarily for her time on “Facts of Life,” and before that, “Different Strokes,” she has acted steadily for decades, even over the past few years. As E! News shares, Charlotte just celebrated her 91st birthday and she says that at this point, essentially every day is a birthday. While she hesitated on moving forward with cancer treatments to tackle this prognosis, she has revealed that she thinks that she will go for it, as she has many great things happening now and she wants to continue with the great life she has had.
Fans are rallying to support the "Facts of Life" and "Different Strokes" star in the wake of the news that Charlotte Rae has bone cancer. Despite being 91 years old, Rae clearly is anxious to keep going and her fans hope that she can do just that.
