Valerie Harper ‘Defies The Odds’ In Battle Against Brain Cancer

Valerie Harper, the 74-year-old star from the Mary Tyler Moore Show, spoke on the Today Show and she had good news to share! She told NBC News Correspondent Meredith Vieira that her doctors have told her that her brain cancer is “close to remission”.

Harper’s doctor, Jeremy Rudnick said about her, “I’d say that we’re getting pretty close to a remission. It defies the odds.”

This is of course wonderful news for Valerie who was told in January that she had a rare medical condition called leptomeningeal carcinomatosis. She underwent a lot of chemotherapy as well as homoeopathic remedies and ancient Chinese cures.

But Dr. Rudnick also spoke cautiously about Valerie Harper’s condition: “The problem is that at anytime this can change. The cancer can “develop resistance to the therapy” and it’s “not a matter of if, it’s a matter of when… Life is about buying time.” Harper agreed with him. “That’s what I always say.”

Tony Cacciotti, Harper’s husband, was thrilled to learn the news about his wife, because it increases the time he will get to spend with her: “Going from having three months to live, or less; we’re into our sixth month, and now there’s even hope beyond right now we’re looking at… I never planned on this. This is overwhelming.”

Valerie spoke positively on the show about her wish to live her life to the full: “We’re all going to die, but because I have a finite time – or have been told so by my doctors – I just want to live every moment to the fullest.”

We hope that Valerie Harper’s battle against cancer will be a successful one and that she will get to enjoy many more healthy years ahead.