What cancer did William Shatner have? What we know as actor addresses long tinnitus health battle

William Shatner, 94, recently opened up about his long-standing struggles with tinnitus. The actor was diagnosed with the medical condition in the ‘90s, decades after an incident while filming for Star Trek.

Shatner spoke in a video for Tinnitus Quest, a nonprofit organization, to raise awareness. In the short clip, the Boston Legal actor encouraged others to donate towards the organization’s research for finding a cure or treatment for tinnitus. William Shatner spoke about his struggles,

“My own journey with tinnitus started when I was filming a Star Trek episode called ‘Arena’ and I was too close to the special effects explosion and the result was that I was left with permanent tinnitus. And over the years I've had many ups and downs with my tinnitus and I know from firsthand experience just how difficult it can get.”

Apart from battling with tinnitus for years, William Shatner is also a cancer survivor. According to Managed Healthcare Executive, the Star Trek icon was diagnosed with stage 4 melanoma. Per the publication, Shatner attended the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) meeting in San Diego in March 2024, where he talked about his diagnosis and treatment for skin cancer.

During a conversation with Terrence A. Cronin Jr., the Loaded Weapon 1 actor mentioned having a lump near his right ear. While his family physician advised him to massage the area, Shatner visited another doctor a month later. He recounted,

“He did what is so beautiful about being a doctor. He had artistic hands and put them on my cheek and he said, ‘We better get this out.’ It was said with such kindness and there was such gentility above the touch of this doctor on my jaw that I saw the care and love that the doctor can give the patient in that moment.”

William Shatner, who also underwent immunotherapy after the surgery, added,

“I went and I had this thing taken out. It was a melanoma, stage 4.”

According to NBC News, William Shatner was also misdiagnosed with prostate cancer. The actor told the outlet in a 2018 interview that increased PSA levels caused the false alarms.

William Shatner’s tinnitus condition seemingly worsened with age, the actor admitted a few years back

The Captain Kirk actor recounted on different occasions that an incident on the set of Star Trek was the reason behind his medical condition. While filming for the episode “Arena,” Shatner was standing close to a special effects explosion that seemingly damaged his ear and caused tinnitus.

In a January 2023 interview with E! News, the actor recounted how he discovered about his condition,

“I was on the beach and it’s a vivid moment, and you know how the waves go out — the wave comes in [roars] and then it goes 'ssss' [as it] goes out. All of a sudden, I kept hearing a 'ssss' even though there was another wave coming. And that’s how I discovered [I had tinnitus].”

He further admitted how the condition worsened with age,

“It started, and I went to the doctor and said, ‘Will it get worse?’ And he said, ‘It might not.’ But of course it does as you age, it gets worse.”

As mentioned, William Shatner was recently seen talking about Tinnitus Quest in a bid to raise funds for its research. In a video uploaded by the organization, he was heard saying,

“Tinnitus Quest is a new nonprofit with the simple and bold goal of silencing tinnitus once and for all, by funding innovative research. It's run by tinnitus patients together with some of the top researchers in the field.”

He added,

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“The more money we can raise for Tinnitus Quest, the quicker we can find a solution to help the millions of people suffering.”

Despite William Shatner's struggles with tinnitus, he has continued to work on new projects, even at 94. In October 2021, he also became the oldest person to fly in space. Shatner flew with Blue Origin NS-18 at the age of 90.

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