carly simon ‘filled with sorrow’ over death of her sisters who died of cancer one day apart

singer-songwriter carly simon said goodbye to her two talented sisters who died of cancer last week, one day apart, cbs news reports .

joanna simon, 85, the eldest of four, was an acclaimed mezzo-soprano and emmy-winning tv correspondent. she died of thyroid cancer on wednesday. lucy simon, 82, a composer, nominated for a tony award for the score of “the secret garden,” died of metastatic breast cancer on thursday, simon’s manager larry ciancia confirmed to cnn .

she had her own fight with breast cancer, undergoing chemotherapy in 1998 when she was 52. at the time, she went public with her diagnosis so the tabloids wouldn’t exaggerate her condition, says the chicago tribune .

the simon siblings were born to publisher richard simon, co-founder of simon & schuster, and his wife, andrea. carly and lucy used to perform as the simon sisters, an opening act for other artists in greenwich village folk clubs, says cbs.

lucy simon, 82, diagnosed with breast cancer

odds are high that you know someone who has experienced breast cancer. it’s among the most common cancers for women in canada, second only to non-melanoma skin cancer, according to health canada . while cancer cells start in the mammary gland, the breast tissue itself extends to the collarbone and from the armpit to the breastbone.

no single cause has been identified, but there are risk factors to be aware of, such as family history of breast cancer and age. (eighty-three per cent of cases occur in women over 50.) obesity and physical inactivity are also risks, especially for women who are post-menopausal, along with alcohol use and taking hormone replacement therapy for more than five years. having dense breasts can also increase the risk of developing cancer cells and make it harder to see a tumour on a mammogram.

while medications, surgery and targeted immunotherapy drugs have advanced in terms of treatment, experts say prevention is important. advocates at the canadian breast cancer network suggest talking to your doctor about your risk for breast cancer if you are age 40 or older, or if you notice any changes like lumps or discharge. for women at average risk, screening is recommended every two to three years at age 50 or older.

joanna simon, 85, diagnosed with thyroid cancer

while it’s not as widely talked about, thyroid cancer seems to be increasing. experts say the rise could be attributed to the sophistication of the imaging technology that can detect small thyroid cancers on ct and mri scans, according to the mayo clinic . the scans may have been done for other reasons, so these diagnoses are often considered incidental and are typically small cancers that respond to treatments.

women are three times more likely to develop thyroid cancer than men. it’s commonly diagnosed in women aged 40 to 50, while men tend to be older — in their 60s and 70s. children can also develop the disease, notes the cleveland clinic .

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carly simon ‘filled with sorrow’ over death of her sisters who died of cancer one day apart

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