Valerie Harper has set her first TV appearance since publicly revealing she has terminal brain cancer. The Rhoda actress will appear on the syndicated daytime talker The Doctors, alongside her husband and Mary Tyler Moore castmates Cloris Leachman and Ed Asner.
During the sitdown, set to air Monday, Harper revealed that her husband, Tony Cacciotti, initially hid the diagnosis from her, because her prognosis was so poor.
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“I didn’t get it because my husband hid it. Poor baby; he was so bereft,” Harper said.
Harper, 73, revealed Wednesday she is suffering from leptomeningeal carcinomatosis, a disease in which cancer cells spread into the membrane surrounding the brain. Her physicians gave her three to six months to live when she was diagnosed Jan. 15.
In 2009, Harper beat lung cancer.
“I have to tell you I am blown away by her resilience and her resolve in the face of such a dire, dire diagnosis,” said Dr. Travis Stork, co-host of the show.
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During the episode, Harper will share how she plans on spending what time she has left. The show will also feature the team of Cedars Sinai physicians treating Harper’s brain cancer, neuro-oncologist Dr. Jeremy Rudnick and oncologist Dr. Ronald Natale.
The Doctors is distributed by CBS Television Distribution. Harper's episode, which airs Monday, can be found by checking one’s local listings.
