Celebrities who died of cancer (42 photos)

Marcello Mastroianni, 72 years old

In recent years, the actor has been seriously ill. He had pancreatic cancer. Being seriously ill, Mastroianni continued to play. He, being a lover of life, worked until the very end. Before going on stage in the evening, he underwent chemotherapy in the morning.

Edith Piaf, 47 years old

In 1961, at the age of 46, Edith Piaf learned that she was terminally ill with liver cancer. Despite her illness, she overcame herself and performed. Her last performance on stage took place on March 18, 1963. The audience gave her a five-minute standing ovation. On October 10, 1963, Edith Piaf died.

Joe Cocker, 70

On December 22, 2014, in Colorado, at the age of 70, the outstanding blues singer Joe Cocker, who became one of the stars of the legendary Woodstock festival, died of lung cancer.

Patrick Wayne Swayze, 57

In 1991, Patrick Wayne Swayze was named the "sexiest" man alive. Patrick single-handedly fought pancreatic cancer, making everyone believe he was almost a winner with his positive attitude. However, on September 14, 2009, he passed away.

Luciano Pavarotti, 71 years old

The famous trio, Luciano Pavarotti, Placido Domingo and Jose Carreras shocked the entire world of classical music and opera. Unfortunately, on September 6, 2007, the trio lost Pavarotti, who died of pancreatic cancer.

Dennis Hopper, 74

On May 29, 2010, prostate cancer claimed the life of Hollywood actor Dennis Hopper. He is known for the films Rebel Without a Cause and Giant.

Walt Disney, 65 years old

His animated films will stand the test of time. He may have lived too short a life and died on December 15, 1966 from lung cancer, but his ideas live on and his characters have long crossed the boundaries of the screen and been embodied in theme parks and attractions around the world.

Jean Gabin, 72 years old

The cause of death of the famous French theater and film actor was leukemia.

Yves Saint Laurent, 71 years old

In April 2007, doctors diagnosed the famous designer with brain cancer. Yves Saint Laurent died on June 1, 2008 at the age of 71 in Paris, where he came for treatment. According to newspaper publications, two days before his death, Saint Laurent entered into a same-sex marriage with Pierre Berger.

Bob Marley, 36 years old

In July 1977, Marley was diagnosed with malignant melanoma on his big toe (which appeared there as a result of a football injury). He refused amputation, citing fear of losing the opportunity to dance. In 1980, a planned American tour was canceled when the singer lost consciousness at one of the first concerts: the cancer had progressed. Despite intensive treatment, Bob Marley died on May 11, 1981 in a Miami hospital.

Wayne McLaren, 51

Legendary ad man Marlboro, a stuntman, model and rodeo rider, became an outspoken anti-smoking advocate once he was diagnosed with lung cancer. He struggled long and hard with his illness, but it turned out to be stronger.

Ray Charles, 73

The iconic American composer and performer, one of the most famous musicians of the 20th century, Ray Charles died in 2004 at the age of 73. The cause of his death was a long and serious illness, apparently liver cancer, which began to manifest itself back in 2002. According to the recollections of relatives, in recent months Ray could no longer walk and almost did not speak, but every day he came to his own RPM studio and did his job.

Gerard Philip, 37 years old

The French theater and film actor starred in 28 films. In May 1959, Gerard suddenly felt sharp pains in his stomach. X-ray showed an inflammatory process in the liver. Philip underwent surgery. But the disease was incurable - liver cancer. Only his wife, Ann, knew about this, and she did not reveal herself to the end. Gerard Philip died on November 25, 1959, at the age of thirty-seven.

Audrey Hepburn, 63 years old

In mid-October 1992, Audrey Hepburn was diagnosed with a tumor in her colon. On November 1, 1992, surgery was performed to remove the tumor. The diagnosis after surgery was encouraging; the doctors believed that the operation was done on time. However, three weeks later the actress was hospitalized again with acute abdominal pain. Tests showed that tumor cells had again invaded the colon and adjacent tissues. This indicated that the actress had only a few months left to live. She died on January 20, 1993.

Hugo Chavez, 58 years old

On March 5, 2013, Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez died from complications of cancer. In 2011, he was diagnosed with a cancerous tumor in the pelvic region - metastatic rhabdomyosarcoma. The cause of Hugo Chavez's death was complications caused by a course of chemotherapy.

Anna German, 46 years old

In the early 80s, Anna German was diagnosed with cancer - a bone tumor. Knowing this, she went on her last tour - to Australia. When she returned, she went to the hospital, where she underwent three operations. Two months before her death, Anna wrote: “I am happy. I was baptized. I accepted my grandmother’s faith.” She died in August 1982.

Evgeniy Zharikov, 70 years old

The famous Soviet and Russian actor Yevgeny Zharikov, the star of such immortal films as “Ivan’s Childhood”, “Three Plus Two”, “Born of the Revolution”, was seriously ill in the last years of his life. In 2012, he died in the Botkin hospital. Zharikov was sick with cancer.

Anatoly Ravikovich, 75 years old

The actor who played the spineless Khobotov in Pokrovsky Gates did not resemble this character in any way in life. He was a knight, sharp with his words, a real St. Petersburg intellectual. Anatoly Ravikovich has changed a lot in the last year: he lost weight, his vitality was being sucked out of him by illness - oncology.

Bogdan Stupka, 70 years old

The cause of Bogdan Stupka's death was a heart attack due to advanced stage of bone cancer.

“He didn’t like to complain, so few people knew about it,” said the actor’s son Ostap Stupka. “The disease progressed quickly.

Svyatoslav Belza, 72 years old

On June 3, 2014, music and literary critic and TV presenter Svyatoslav Belza died in Munich after a short stay in a German clinic. He was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.

Lyubov Orlova, 72 years old

One day, while returning home from dubbing her latest film, “The Starling and the Lyre,” Orlova began vomiting. Doctors at the Kuntsevo hospital, where the famous patient was taken, decided that she had gallstones and set a day for surgery. However, Orlova did not have any stones. Immediately after the operation, the surgeon called her husband Grigory Alexandrov and said that Lyubov Petrovna had pancreatic cancer. The diagnosis was hidden from her. She knew nothing and felt much better. One day she even asked to bring a ballet barre to the ward, where she was used to starting every day. Alexandrov brought a machine, and his dying wife did gymnastics for an hour and a half a day. She moaned in pain, but continued. She died in the Kremlin hospital.

Oleg Yankovsky, 65 years old

In 2008, Oleg Yankovsky began to have health problems. The actor turned for help to a Moscow clinic, where he complained of feeling unwell. The examination initially showed coronary heart disease and after a course of treatment, Oleg Ivanovich was allowed to go home. But the pain returned and on the eve of 2009 the actor was hospitalized. He was given a terrible diagnosis: late stage pancreatic cancer.

Oleg Yankovsky went for treatment to an expensive German clinic, which was famous for its experience in the therapeutic treatment of cancer. But the doctors could not do anything. As a result, the actor interrupted the course of treatment and returned to his homeland. On May 20, 2009, Oleg Yankovsky passed away.

Lyubov Polishchuk, 57 years old

In March 2006, the actress finished filming My Fair Nanny, her last role. Lyubov Grigorievna, who was literally bedridden due to a spinal injury, was diagnosed with cancer - sarcoma. The actress experienced unbearable pain. Her condition was so severe that the clinic doctors who examined the patient had to prescribe narcotic analgesics. On November 25, 2006, relatives were unable to wake up the actress; she fell into a coma and was taken to the hospital. She died on November 28, 2006.

Klara Rumyanova, 74 years old

Absolutely everyone who grew up watching good Soviet cartoons knows her. The voice of Klara Rumyanova is spoken by Cheburashka, the Hare from “Well, Just Wait!”, the Kid who was friends with Carlson, Little Raccoon, Rikki-Tikki-Tavi - it’s impossible to list all the cartoons she voiced. In 2004, Rumyanova was recognized as the main “animated voice” of all times. A small concert tour of Russia was planned for the actress’s 75th birthday, but illness canceled all plans - doctors discovered breast cancer.

Valentina Tolkunova, 63 years old

Tolkunova fought against cancer for several years. In 2009, she had a brain tumor removed; she had previously had a mastectomy and several courses of chemotherapy. However, in 2010 the disease began to progress sharply. The singer was diagnosed with stage four breast cancer with metastases in the brain, liver and lungs. Journalists reported that Valentina Vasilyevna refused chemotherapy and did not even transfer to the oncology center. She died on March 22, 2010.

Nadezhda Rumyantseva, 77 years old

In recent years, the actress has suffered from a serious cancer - brain cancer. She lost a lot of weight, had a crazy headache, and began to faint. And then, at the very end, I couldn’t even walk on my own; I could only move in a wheelchair. Nadezhda Vasilievna Rumyantseva died on an April evening in 2008, she was 77 years old.

Georg Ots, 55 years old

At a flourishing age, Ots fell ill with brain cancer. Ots fought for life as much as he could: he underwent eight severe operations and an eye amputation, but continued to work almost until the end of his life. Six months before his death, before another operation, he began to sing right in the hospital room. I could not refuse the women who recognized the great singer in this man, tormented by illness. Ots died on September 5, 1975.

Valery Zolotukhin, 71 years old

Valery Zolotukhin died in 2013 from brain cancer. In the last days of his life, the actor was in a stable and serious condition. In order for the body to cope with a serious illness, doctors were forced from time to time to put the artist into a medical coma. However, on the eve of his death, Zolotukhin’s condition especially worsened - his organs began to fail one after another. In the end, the actor's heart stopped. The doctors were powerless against the brain cancer that was literally “consuming” the artist.

Oleg Zhukov, 28 years old

A member of the group Disco Accident in the summer of 2001, while on tour, began to complain of headaches. In August 2001, Oleg was diagnosed with a brain tumor. On September 3, he underwent surgery. Zhukov continued to perform with the group “Disco Accident”, but in November he stopped touring due to a sharp deterioration in his health. Died of a brain tumor on February 9, 2002 at the age of 29

Ivan Dykhovichny, 61 years old

Dykhovichny knew about the terrible diagnosis - lymph cancer and in recent months he had been preparing his closest relatives for his death.

“When I was diagnosed with lymph cancer and told I had three or four years to live, I thought that, given my age, that was quite a long time. And I also thought that the worst thing was to start feeling sorry for myself,” Dykhovichny said in an interview a year before his departure.

Maya Kristalinskaya, 53 years old

The singer had lymphogranulomatosis - cancer of the lymph nodes. Maya got sick when she was 28 years old. She was treated by the best doctors. From time to time she underwent chemotherapy and radiation. The disease was contained. In 1984, her illness worsened, and she only managed to live for another year.

Elena Obraztsova, 75 years old

The greatest singer of our time, Elena Obraztsova, died in January 2015 in a clinic in Germany. Immediately after the death of the prima, no one could accurately name the diagnosis and causes of Elena Vasilievna’s death. Only a few hours later, information was made public that the cause of Obraztsova’s death was a serious illness - blood cancer. The immediate cause of death was cardiac arrest, which could not withstand grueling treatment.

Nikolay Grinko, 68 years old

By the age of 60, Nikolai Grigorievich already had more than a hundred roles. He was given the title of People's Actor. Grinko began to get sick. A strange malaise put him to bed for several days and then released him. Doctors could not make a diagnosis. Later the cause was determined – leukemia, blood cancer. Died April 10, 1989.

Alexander Abdulov, 54 years old

Alexander Abdulov died on January 3, 2008 from lung cancer. The disease was discovered very late, and after the diagnosis was made, the actor lived only a little over four months.

Mikhail Kozakov, 76 years old

The famous Russian actor and director Mikhail Kozakov suffered from lung cancer. In the winter of 2010, Israeli doctors found Mikhail Mikhailovich had lung cancer in the final stages. Modern medicine cannot cure this disease in this form, but patients undergo radiation and chemotherapy to prolong life. Died on April 22, 2011.

Anna Samokhina, 47 years old

In November 2009, Anna began to have severe stomach pain. At first, she did not pay attention to this, planning to relax in hot India. But at some point the pain became unbearable, and the actress turned to a gastroenterologist. Having performed an endoscopy on her, the doctor was horrified. And he made a terrible diagnosis: stage IV stomach cancer. Russian and foreign doctors could no longer help at this stage of the disease. The prescribed chemotherapy also did not help. The actress died on February 8, 2010.

Oleg Efremov, 72 years old

One of the greatest Russian actors and theater directors, a national favorite. Heavy smoker. I tried to quit smoking several times, but I was never able to overcome my bad habit. In the last months of his life, Efremov had difficulty moving and sat at rehearsals, connected to a device that ventilated his lungs. And in his hand was the constant cigarette. Oleg Nikolaevich Efremov died of lung cancer.

Anatoly Solonitsyn, 47 years old

Tarkovsky's favorite actor. We remember him from the films “Andrei Rublev”, “Solaris”, “Mirror”, “Stalker”. Died of lung cancer. The operation didn't help.

Zhanna Friske, 40 years old

On June 15, 2015, singer Zhanna Friske died at the age of 41. In 2014, doctors diagnosed her with a brain tumor. In January 2014, family and friends reported that the tumor was inoperable. The artist was treated first in the USA, then underwent rehabilitation in the Baltic states and continued her treatment in China. In recent months, the singer lived in a country house near Moscow.

Ilya Oleynikov, 65 years old

In July 2012, Oleinikov was diagnosed with lung cancer, and the actor underwent chemotherapy. At the end of October, he was hospitalized from the set with a diagnosis of pneumonia. After some time, he was put into a state of artificial sleep so that the body could cope with septic shock acquired after chemotherapy, and was connected to a ventilator. The situation was complicated by serious heart problems, as well as the fact that the actor smoked a lot.

Without regaining consciousness, he died on November 11, 2012 at the age of 66.

Rolan Bykov, 68 years old

In 1996 he underwent surgery for lung cancer, and a couple of years later the disease returned. He felt that he had not done everything in life that he could. Before his death, he told his wife Elena Sanaeva: “I’m not afraid to die... You won’t have time to grieve. You will have to finish what I didn’t finish.”