Eric Braeden, best known for playing self-made business magnate Victor Newman on CBS’ The Young and the Restless, has been opening up about his recent battle with cancer.
The soap star revealed his bladder cancer diagnosis earlier this year and, in August, shared with fans that he was now cancer-free. Speaking with Soap Opera Digest, Braeden explained why he decided to share his diagnosis publicly, saying he hoped it would help others.
“You know, I’m at an age where I really don’t care. What I do care about is that I’ve seen other people go through cancer, and that’s a tough thing to see them go through. So if I encourage men, in this case, or anyone for that matter, to have preventive exams, prophylactic exams, then I think I’ve done some kind of a service,” he said.
He continued, “If I had not had a cystoscopy at a certain time, which really came about sort of accidentally, I would not have known that I had cancer, and it would have, by now, reached who knows what stage.”
“So, have a cystoscopy, have a colonoscopy at least once a year, get a calcium score of your heart, women should have an annual mammogram. Just do it! As the saying goes, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure,” the actor added.
As for how Braeden dealt with his own diagnosis, he said he never felt scared. “I’ve not been scared because I knew — and this also is what prompted me to make this public — because of my brother’s experience and two or three other people [with cancer], I knew what was awaiting me,” he shared. “So I was not scared in that sense. No. I said, “Let’s go, let’s get on with it, let’s deal with it,” and I’ve had that feeling ever since.”
He also said the fan support he’s received has helped massively, stating, “I read it all. I wish I had more time to respond to all the comments; that’s the only drawback. But do I read it? You bet. I read every single one of them.”
Work has also helped keep his mind focused in these tough times.
“I just love going to work because I work with people that I love being with — Melody [Thomas Scott] and Amelia [Heinle] and Joshua [Morrow] and Mark Grossman and Sean Dominic,” he said. “They’re wonderful to work with. We have great fun and we laugh a lot.”
