John Tesh Shares Lessons Learned Fighting Cancer | Members Only (2024)

John Tesh Shares Lessons Learned Fighting Cancer | Members Only (1)

John Tesh Shares Lessons Learned Fighting Cancer | Members Only (2)

AARP (Connie Sellecca)

Nine years ago, John Tesh, now 72, received devastating news: He was diagnosed with a rare form of prostate cancer and given 18 months to live. He persevered through treatment to beat the odds, but in 2020 the battle was back on — scans showed cancerous tumors in his pelvis and wrapped around internal organs. Today, after a second round of cancer treatment, the musician and former Entertainment Tonight cohost is feeling strong and keeping busy performing at concerts, hosting a syndicated radio show and teaching others to create their own music through his online piano lessons. In our interview, Tesh shares the lessons he’s learned fighting cancer, the secret to his long marriage to actress Connie Sellecca, 69, and how he feels about retiring.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

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John Tesh Shares Lessons Learned Fighting Cancer | Members Only (4)

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As a cancer survivor, what advice would you give people facing a diagnosis?

In the Bible, Romans 12: “Be transformed by the renewing of your mind” — that’s a big part of it for me. [Also] having an advocate — my wife was great at this. Connie always stood between me and the doctors. There’s days of depression, with cancer or any disease. You wake up at 2 o’clock in the morning — it’s a big time for somebody going through this kind of stuff — because you get to sleep, and then you wake up [in the middle of the night] and there’s the rumination. One of the things that I learned was I needed to replace the rumination that I had with other things. It’s not something that comes naturally, because the brain really wants to ruminate.

What did you replace the rumination with?

I first replaced it with a great book that I recommend to everybody: Viktor Frankl’s Man’s Search for Meaning. You can read it, you can listen to it, and it was understanding that suffering is a big part of just what happens on this earth, and understanding that you haven’t been singled out.

What did your cancer battle teach you?

I spent a lot of my life as a sports announcer, so I spent a lot of my time with athletes who were at the top of the game. A lot of those people, especially if you use downhill skiers as the example, are at the same level physically. But then you’ve always heard the trope that it’s the mental difference. In 1982, I was right by the start house at the world’s longest World Cup downhill, which is [in] Wengen, Switzerland. It’s like 2.8 miles. It’s a long time to be going 65 miles per hour. I’m up there the day before and Franz Klammer, the legendary Austrian ski racer — he didn’t speak any English — he’s up there and he’s in the start house. Everybody’s going on five or six runs just to memorize the course. Klammer had just done one run and he’s in the back, leaning up against the start house, and his coach is next to him. He’s got his helmet on, he’s got his goggles on, he has his poles in his hand and his skis on, he’s got his eyes closed. And he would lean way down, and then his poles would come back, and he would lean way forward, and you see the tips of his skis move while he was standing there. I asked the coach, who spoke English, “What’s going on?” He said, “Well, he’s going through the course in his mind…. He’s memorized the entire course, and he can see himself at the finish line, on the medal stand — not on the bronze or the silver, but on the gold medal stand.” Sure enough, he won that particular race. But years later, while I’m sitting in a chemo chair at MD Anderson [Cancer Center], it occurred to me that I needed to see myself well. I needed to see myself as my Aunt Imogene, 98 years old. I needed to be able to visualize that. I still use that.

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John Tesh Shares Lessons Learned Fighting Cancer | Members Only (2024)

FAQs

What treatment did John Tesh have for prostate cancer? ›

Because John's prostate cancer was hormone-driven, his oncologist recommended hormone therapy and chemotherapy. The goal was to slow the spread of cancer to a crawl.

Is John Tesh still married to Connie Sellecca? ›

Connie Sellecca was born on May 25, 1955 in The Bronx, New York, USA. She is an actress and producer, known for The Greatest American Hero (1981), Hotel (1983) and Beyond Westworld (1980). She has been married to John Tesh since April 4, 1992.

What food was discovered to reduce prostate cancer? ›

Tomatoes and tomato-based products contain the antioxidant lycopene, which may help protect against prostate cancer. Antioxidants assist in ridding the body of free radicals (unstable atoms) that disrupt healthy cell function.

What is the most successful prostate cancer treatment? ›

Generally speaking, many patients with prostate cancer undergo surgery to remove tumors or the entire prostate. Surgery may also be performed with radiation therapy to eliminate cancer cells. In other cases, men with early-stage cancer may opt for an “active surveillance” approach.

Is John Tesh religious? ›

Tesh is a Christian. He was raised a Baptist and was involved in the church during his youth. He played organ, sang in the choir, and went to church camp. He became inactive in the church during his adult life, but became involved again after Sellecca introduced him to pastor Louis Lapides.

What is Connie Sellecca doing now? ›

Golden Globe and Emmy nominated actress and businesswoman Connie Sellecca is the host of the nationally syndicated Intelligence for your Health Radio Show.

How much money does John Tesh make? ›

As a co-host on “Entertainment Tonight,” Tesh earned an estimated income of $6 to $7 million annually. Additionally, his music career, with successful album sales, royalties, and concert performances, has contributed significantly to his overall financial milestones.

What is the traditional treatment for prostate cancer? ›

Standard treatment of stage I prostate cancer may include the following:
  • Watchful waiting.
  • Active surveillance. If the cancer begins to grow, hormone therapy may be given.
  • Radical prostatectomy, usually with pelvic lymphadenectomy. Radiation therapy may be given after surgery.
  • External radiation therapy.
Feb 16, 2023

What is the gold treatment for prostate cancer? ›

Biocompatible gold nanoparticles designed to convert near-infrared light to heat have been shown to safely and effectively ablate low- to intermediate-grade tumors within the prostate, according to a study conducted at the Icahn School of Medicine and published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of ...

What is the groundbreaking treatment for prostate cancer? ›

Patients with advanced prostate cancer who were treated with the 'search and destroy' drug, called Lu-PSMA (177Lu-PSMA-617), alongside standard care, experienced a higher quality of life when than those treated with standard care alone. Earlier analyses from the same trial showed that Lu-PSMA improves survival.

What is the new non surgical treatment for prostate cancer? ›

High-Intensity Focused Ultrasound (HIFU)

High-Intensity Focused Ultrasound is a minimally invasive procedure that uses ultrasound waves to treat prostate cancer by focusing on the exact tissue that requires treatment. This treatment does not involve radiation and does not require incisions.

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