Eric Idle isn’t going anywhere.
In a new interview with People, the “Monty Python” alum opened up about being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer three years ago and surviving.
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As Idle explained, his cancer spotted thanks to early detection.
“My doctor specializes in preventative medicine, and he makes me go for blood tests every year,” he said. “He noticed a difference in the markers from the previous year, so he ordered an MRI and asked them to add contrast. That lit up the pancreas, and there it was.”
The treatment involved a “partly robotic” surgery that lasted five hours.
“I had a fantastic surgeon … and he cut it all out because it wasn’t attached to anything; it was intact,” Idle said. “The technicians had never seen it in that state before because they’d never seen it that early. A lot of the research is studying early warning signs.”
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Learning that he was all clear was, of course, an emotional experience.
“I cried,” Idle recalled. “You can resign to whatever fate you’re in. You put yourself in the hands of the doctors, and off you go. You keep smiling and whistle and then look on the bright side. And then when they tell you that you’re going to survive, I mean, that was quite a moment.”
The comedian is also now working with Stand Up To Cancer, creating the Bright Side fund to support research and promote early detection.
“I think we can make a difference,” said. “The good news is that we are starting to fight back.”
