Noddy Holder's wife gives cancer update after husband's diagnosis
Noddy Holder's wife Suzan has offered a health update on her husband as he continues to undertake an intense course of experimental chemotherapy.
The Slade star, 77, was given just six months to live five years ago when he was diagnosed with oesophageal cancer. Doctors told him his only option was to take part in a clinical trial for a new form of chemotherapy, which had never been tried on someone over the age of 60.
Noddy, who kept his battle secret but from close friends and family, agreed and makes regular visits to The Christie Hospital in Manchester. Suzan says talking openly about his fight for life could help others with the music star's improvement even seeing a return to the stage.
Suzan, who married Noddy in 2004, told GB News: "When he was given chemotherapy five years ago, they told him that it was something that they hadn't really given to anybody. He was 72 when he was diagnosed and when they gave it to him, and they never make any promises with any cancer treatment, but he's doing great.
"We've decided to talk about [it] now to raise awareness of oesophageal cancer, which is not the same as throat cancer. It's one of the gastric cancers and it's not something that gets a lot of attention." Suzan went on in the interview: "We know we shocked some people, that's not what we meant to do, and we don't want to upset anybody.
Slade's Noddy Holder given six months to live in private five year cancer battle"We're very aware that a lot of people are going through all sorts of different things and all sorts of different illnesses and we don't have a magic answer, but we'll do we can say to people, even with a devastating diagnosis like that, there is always hope.
"They're bringing on treatments all the time and this treatment that he had, has kept him healthy now for the last four-and-a-half years. One of the reasons we kept it private was because Noddy wanted to deal with it in his own way, which was to focus and to concentrate. He's done it all with good humour, that kind of same naughty, mischievous person has always been like that all the way."
Speaking to Alexis Conran on Jeremy Vine on Channel 5 last week, Noddy appeared with Suzan, who is a regular show panelist. Speaking on the show, Noddy said: "I went to the Christie hospital in Manchester, and I said 'Is it six months? Is that the end of the line?'"
The doctor he was speaking to told him the only other option was the new intense chemotherapy. Noddy said they told him his "positive outlook" could help him if he was to try it. After a brief moment of indecision – one that frightened Suzan "to death" – he agreed to go ahead with the trial. Noddy explained he didn't want to be ill for his last six months, but after the doctors told him more about it, he wanted to "give it a go".
Fans were shocked when Noddy revealed last week that he'd outlived his initial prognosis and was feeling fit and healthy. Suzan added: "And thank goodness he did. It's a targeted chemotherapy now, they are able to do that and every single person reacts differently." Nodded said: "It was hard going, very hard going. But five years later I’m still standing."