The Days of Our Lives icon, Suzanne Rogers, recently opened up about her cancer diagnosis and how it changed her life in more ways than one. The 82-year-old was diagnosed with stage 2 colon cancer this summer. Months later, after going through chemotherapy and radiation and taking medication, the actress is in remission. Suzanne has starred as Maggie Horton on Days of Our Lives for 52 years and is the longest-serving actress currently active on any American soap opera. Her cancer diagnosis and treatment completely changed her life.
"I'm feeling so much better. I mean, my summer was rough. I had cancer removed, radiation, that was tough. But I didn't lose my hair. I guess I got it early," Suzanne told People. "I was stage two, and it was a certain kind of chemo that they gave me, it was pills and the radiation, and it didn’t affect it so that was good. [And I'm now] in remission."
Suzanne, who has been on television since she was 30-years-old, shared the ways that she has changed since learning she had cancer. The actress told People: "I don't worry about the small things. It's not worth it. I was rushing [to this event], and I went, 'Wait a minute. You're not going anywhere."
© FilmMagicThe 82-year-old explained that her family and her priest helped her get through the tough time. "The day before I started my chemo and radiation, my priest, I told him, I said, 'Can I talk to you about something?' I said, 'I'm starting chemo and radiation tomorrow.' He said, 'Come with me.' And he took me into the church, up the aisle, up on the altar. He said, 'Stand right here.' And he went and got some oils and a prayer and did the anointing. So I felt that that’s what helped me through."
© Getty ImagesWhile Suzanne confirmed she is in remission, she is not fully healed. "[I'm at] about 70% right now," she told People. "I'm just just basically letting things happen. I'm not making anything happen." The Days of Our Lives actress detailed that she is gaining her energy back and not forcing her recovery.
© Getty ImagesIn October, Suzanne first revealed that she was facing a cancer diagnosis, it was a shock. "[My doctor] said, 'You have cancer and you have to start treatment,'" she remembered. "I mean, I think I was in shock for several days because I take pretty good care of myself. But he said, 'It's a good thing you caught it in time.'"
© Getty ImagesHow many people get colon cancer every year?
According to the American Cancer Society, about 107,320 people will be diagnosed with colon cancer in 2025. They explained: "The rate of people being diagnosed with colon or rectal cancer has dropped overall since the mid-1980s, mainly because more people are getting screened and changing their lifestyle-related risk factors. From 2012 to 2021, incidence rates dropped by about 1% each year. But this downward trend is mostly in older adults."
Alarmingly, in people younger than 50 years of age, rates of colon cancer have increased by 2.4% from 2012 to 2021. Per the Cancer Research Institute: "Experts believe a sedentary lifestyle, lack of exercise and an increased consumption of processed foods and red meat are all at play behind the rise of CRC."
