With Jared Kushner revealing his battle with thyroid cancer in his just-released book, Breaking History: A White House Memoir, he became the youngest known survivor to draw attention to a disease that the American Cancer Society says will affect some 45,000 Americans diagnosed this year.
The 41-year-old former senior White House adviser and son-in-law of former President Trump kept his condition a secret while he was being treated and recovering. Some of the celebrities listed below also chose to do so, while others have been more public about their diagnosis and recovery.
What these cases prove is that as long as it is caught early and appropriate treatment protocols are followed, thyroid cancer is very survivable.
Deborah Norville
In 2019, the longtime Inside Edition host was alerted to a suspicious lump on her neck by a concerned viewer. She eventually revealed to viewers that she had to undergo surgery to remove a “very localized form of cancer.” Norville explained that a viewer had contacted her a few years earlier about a tiny lump that she had never noticed. She showed it to her doctor, who told her it was “just a thyroid nodule,” but they needed to monitor it regularly.
“For years it was nothing. Until recently, it was something,” she said. After the surgery, Norville missed a few weeks of shows and upon her return, expressed both gratitude for all the well wishes and confidence that her thyroid cancer was behind her.
Sofia Vergara
The Modern Family star, who turned 50 last month, was diagnosed by an endocrinologist in 2011. She was there for her son’s appointment, but as she explained to Health at the time, the doctor also wanted to check her neck for lumps. And he found one.
“I didn’t feel any symptoms,” she recalls. She underwent surgery to remove her thyroid and was treated with radioactive iodine to kill any remaining cancer cells. She now takes a Synthroid pill every morning to mimic thyroid function and has her blood tested every three months to monitor her thyroid levels.
Tarek El Mussa
Much like Deborah Norville, El Moussa — who was at the time appearing with his then-wife on the HGTV show “Flip or Flop” — was alerted to a suspicious lump on his neck in 2013 by a viewer who also happened to be a registered nurse. Her recommendation to have him checked revealed thyroid cancer and that the disease had spread to his lymph nodes.
El Moussa underwent surgery on his thyroid gland and postoperative radioactive iodine therapy. (He was diagnosed with unrelated testicular cancer shortly after the thyroid diagnosis). He has since recovered from both.
Brooke Burke
Burke, a TV host/personality, author, and fitness expert, was diagnosed with thyroid cancer in 2012 — while co-hosting ABC’s “Dancing with the Stars,” a show she appeared as a competitor (and eventual winner) in 2007.
As she recalled to Yahoo Health earlier this year, “I’m not a person who panics, but I kind of had to take it and take a hit. I had to say to myself: ‘What now?’ But you don’t really know what’s happening now when you hear such information. You go on the internet and start reading about the worst case scenario.
Thankfully, Burke’s eventual thyroidectomy was successful and she has been cancer-free ever since. But the experience led her to campaign for cancer awareness and create the fitness app Brooke Burke Body.
Joe Piscopo
The 71-year-old former Saturday Night Live comedian was in the prime of his career when he was diagnosed with thyroid cancer in 1981, although he had no symptoms. It was discovered by his doctor during a routine check-up.
As Piscopo explained to Coping Magazine in 2001 on the 20th anniversary of his existence as a cancer survivor, he kept his condition a secret throughout his treatment and recovery because he didn’t want to suffer the stigma some cancer patients experience.
“That’s why I have such compassion for cancer patients and AIDS patients because of the prejudice that you go through,” he said.
Angie Everhart
Aged 43 in 2013, the actress, model and mother of a then-baby son let the world know about her diagnosis of thyroid cancer — and upcoming surgery — via a statement from her rep to Extra: “Word has gotten around as to what supermodel/actress Angie Everharts is Health She wants to set the record straight by letting everyone know that it’s true that she’s been diagnosed with thyroid cancer, but the prognosis is very good… The number one reason she’s sharing this information is to encourage people to learn about cancer prevention, its signs and treatment right away.”
A little over a week later, she let the world know how she was doing via her Twitter feed. Her doctor had called “to tell me I’m cancer free!!!!! THANKS AGAIN EVERYONE!!! You’ve all been soooo nice and I’m over the moon relieved this nightmare is over!!!”
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