In his final years, Val Kilmer, who has died at the age of 65, lived with the devastating effects of throat cancer, which forced him ‘to make the choice to breathe or to eat’. And many of the symptoms can be easily missed
This week, the world learned of the sad death of Hollywood icon Val Kilmer, who passed away from pneumonia on April 2 at the age of 65.
The Top Gun star’s death was announced by his daughter Mercedes Kilmer, who revealed her father had recovered from throat cancer, which he was diagnosed with in 2014.
Kilmer had previously opened up about his agonising cancer journey, which saw him undergo both chemotherapy and radiotherapy. He also underwent a tracheostomy, which caused severe damage to his vocal cords.
READ MORE: Global megastardom to living the quiet life – what happened to the cast of Top Gun?
In the 2021 Amazon Prime documentary Val, which followed the ups and downs of the icon’s life and career, Kilmer spoke candidly about how his health struggles had affected him.
He shared: “I can’t speak without plugging this hole (in his throat). You have to make the choice to breathe or to eat. It’s an obstacle that is very present with whoever sees me.”
Although the term throat cancer is often used to describe Kilmer’s condition, this isn’t quite accurate. There are several parts to a person’s throat, which can be grouped into three main areas.
First of all, you have the Nasopharynx, located at the very top part of your throat. This muscular region, described as ‘box-shaped’ by the Cleveland Clinic, can be found right above the roof of your mouth, and connects your nasal passages to your larynx and trachea, and eventually your lungs.
You then have your Oropharynx. According to The Christie NHS Foundation Trust, this is found right at the back of your mouth, and contains your soft palate), the base of your tongue, tonsils and the side walls of your throat.
Thirdly, you have the Hypopharynx, the part of the throat which connects the oropharynx to the gullet and windpipe.
According to the NHS website: “The most common symptoms of cancer in the oropharynx or hypopharynx include a lump in the neck, a persistent sore throat and difficulty swallowing.”
According to Cancer Research UK however, there are 11 symptoms in particular that you need to look out for when it comes to throat cancer, and many could easily be mistaken for another, less serious ailment.
These symptoms are as follows:
- Ear pain
- A persistently sore throat
- Finding a lump in your neck
- Experiencing pain or difficulties when swallowing
- Changes to your voice or speech
- Weight loss that you can’t explain
- Coughing
- Shortness of breath
- The sensation of something being stuck in your throat
- A persistent sore tongue
- Ulcers which don’t heal or red and white patches found in the mouth
Kilmer’s daughter Mercedes confirmed to The New York Times that her famous father had recovered from a throat cancer diagnosis in 2014. However, a year later, he was rushed to UCLA Medical Center to treat severe bleeding in his throat. The tumour resulted from oral cancer.
In his poignant doc, Kilmer revealed why he felt compelled to share his story amid his health concerns, explaining: “Now that it’s more difficult to speak, I want to tell my story more than ever. I obviously am sounding much worse than I feel.”
Do you have a story to share? Email me at julia.banim@reachplc.com
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