John Tesh says he’s still fighting rare cancer after 18-month prognosis
Living with ongoing cancer treatment can mean never feeling fully “done” with it, even in periods of stability. As of Saturday at 9: 00 a. m. ET, john tesh said he remains under care for what he described as a rare cancer first diagnosed in 2015, after being told he had 18 months to live.
john tesh describes life with metastatic prostate cancer and “pulsing” care
john tesh said he was diagnosed in 2015 with “a rare form of cancer, ” later specifying it as “a rare form of prostate cancer” that is now metastatic. He said that means he is not really in remission, describing his status instead as “stable, ” which he called a frightening thought.
He also described an approach he said is known as “pulsing, ” where treatment is started and stopped over time. In his account, doctors let the cancer “grow for a little bit” and then put him back on treatment, repeating the cycle. He said the back-and-forth can feel scary until a patient adjusts to the idea of “living with cancer. ”
Tesh framed his survival in stark terms, calling it a miracle that he is alive and saying he was given 18 months to live. He said he has been “fighting cancer successfully” while also emphasizing that he is still fighting it and that it remains under treatment “on and off. ”
MD Anderson Cancer Center and Connie Sellecca cited in John Tesh’s account
Tesh credited his medical team at the MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston with extending his life. He also singled out his wife, actress Connie Sellecca, saying she has been his advocate over the years. The couple has been married for 34 years, he said.
In his telling, Sellecca’s involvement has been decisive. He said that without her, he would not be speaking now and would have died in 2015. The comments placed his family support alongside his medical care as central to how he has managed the past decade.
He also pointed to his faith as part of what he believes has sustained him. He said that in 2015 he and those close to him discovered scriptures in the Bible that felt directly related to healing, highlighting Mark 11: 23 and saying he has the verse tattooed on his arm.
Entertainment Tonight alumnus keeps performing and hosting “Intelligence for Your Life”
While describing ongoing treatment, Tesh also portrayed his work life as active. He said he remains busy performing and writing music.
He recently performed his NBA on NBC basketball theme “Roundball Rock” at the All-Star Game, a detail that underscores how he has continued to appear publicly despite his description of intermittent treatment.
Beyond music, he also hosts the radio show “Intelligence for Your Life, ” which he said is heard on 350 stations. Tesh previously stepped away from TV hosting duties in 1996 to focus on music, he said, and his current schedule reflects that shift while he continues to manage care for metastatic disease.
If his treatment plan continues as described, Tesh said he expects to remain in a cycle of periods off treatment followed by returns to care when doctors decide it is time to intervene.