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Former Taskmaster star Richard Herring has revealed that he has been diagnosed with cancer for a second time as he shared a health update on Tuesday.
The comedian, 58, who won Taskmaster and also the Taskmaster Champion of Champions showdown, has explained that he has been diagnosed with a very rare 'blood cancer' called Hairy Cell Leukaemia, four years after getting the all-clear for testicular cancer.
Richard shared the news in his latest Substack writing: 'Let me give you the bad news first. I have cancer again. Not ball cancer this time, I can't afford to lose another one of those (though I will be doing my show 'The Male Eunuch' if it does happen)'.
He continued: 'This time I have blood cancer. And God is determined to make sure I get the funniest cancers possible and this one is called hairy cell leukaemia. The other bad news is that it is incurable.'
Hairy cell leukaemia (HCL) is a rare, slow-growing blood cancer that develops when the bone marrow produces too many abnormal B-cell lymphocytes.
However, he then added that the cancer is in fact treatable, but he won't be able to get rid of it anytime soon.
Former Taskmaster star Richard Herring has revealed that he has been diagnosed with cancer for a second time as he shared a health update on Tuesday
'The good news is that it's entirely treatable and will not kill me (the treatment has a tiny chance of killing me, but so has loading the dishwasher, so don't worry about it).
'I will of course be using the fact that I have incurable cancer for all it's worth for the rest of my (hopefully long) life. I can get out of doing other people's podcasts, any social event I don't fancy and also set up a justgiving page with me with a sad face, hugging my kids and asking for money to help them once I'm gone.
'Ha ha ha. It's not even a scam. It's all true. I just won't mention that fact that it's treatable.'
Richard explained that being diagnosed with cancer this time took several years, 'they found a few of the cells in my bone marrow about 12-year-ago, but it didn't get any worse and after five years of being tested the doctor said it was probably going to be OK.'
He then added that he'd 'sort of forgotten about it' until he spoke to the doctors recently.
Richard detailed his first day of chemotherapy and his experience with the NHS, assuring fans there 'were no immediate problems.'
At the end of his post, he confirmed the blood cancer and his previous testicular cancer were not connected.
'It's not linked to the testicular cancer. Someone up there just doesn't like me. But they don't hate me that much. So keep giving me the flimsiest and easiest to live with and funniest named cancers available.
'To have one cancer elicits sympathy, but getting two starts to look a bit like attention-seeking. At least get a properly dangerous one if you're going to make a big deal about it. I feel a bit embarrassed about it,' he joked.
Back in 2021, Richard revealed he had undergone surgery to remove his testicle after being diagnosed with cancer.
The Taskmaster star underwent the surgery at Lister Hospital in Stevenage on February 24th 2021.
He penned: 'How unlucky was I to get a fairly rare cancer without exhibiting any of the usual causes? But then how lucky was I to get the one that is basically curable?'
The comedian, 58, who won Taskmaster, has explained that he has been diagnosed with a very rare 'blood cancer' called Hairy Cell Leukaemia
Richard explained that the cancer, which has a 99% survival rate, had not spread from his testicle, meaning he has been given the all-clear due to the containment.
Cancer of the testicle is one of the less common cancers, and tends to mostly affect men between 15 and 49 years of age. Typical symptoms are a painless swelling or lump in 1 of the testicles, or any change in shape or texture of the testicles.
Richard underwent the surgery before doctors had diagnosed cancer, as he explained they would need to remove the testicle for analysis.
In first announcing the news, he penned: 'RIP my right b***ock. July 12th 1967 to February 24th 2021. Age shall not wither him (he was quite withered already, at least until the last few weeks). He shall be missed.'
The comic is best known for his stand-up work and in 2020, he was a contestant and winner of the tenth series of Taskmaster.
He then competed against Ed Gamble, Kerry Godliman, Liza Tarbuck and Lou Sanders for the second 'Champion of Champions' special, which he also won the same year.
Richard has also written and performed in fourteen one-man shows, and co-wrote the sitcom Time Gentlemen Please.
What is Hairy Cell Leukaemia?
Hairy cell leukaemia (HCL) is a rare, slow-growing blood cancer that develops when the bone marrow produces too many abnormal B-cell lymphocytes.
These malignant cells appear "hairy" under a microscope due to fine, strand-like projections.
Symptoms include:
- Fatigue and dizziness: Caused by anemia (low red blood cell count).
- Frequent infections: Due to a lack of healthy white blood cells.
- Easy bruising or bleeding: Stemming from low platelet counts.
- Abdominal discomfort or bloating: An enlarged spleen is a hallmark symptom.
- Unexplained weight loss
HCL is often diagnosed through routine blood tests that show abnormal blood cell counts. Definitive diagnosis usually requires a blood smear, a bone marrow biopsy, and sometimes imaging tests like a CT scan to check for an enlarged spleen or liver.
While HCL is treatable, it is rarely fully cured, but the vast majority of patients achieve long-term remissions and have a normal life expectancy
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