Health
Multiple myeloma, rare blood cancer: Bruce Springsteen's wife's diagnosis spotlights the illness
Patti Scialfa, Bruce Springsteen’s wife and a member of the E Street Band, recently shared that she was diagnosed in 2018 with a type of blood cancer called multiple myeloma.
She revealed her illness in the documentary “Road Diary: Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band,” which premiered at the Toronto Film Festival on Sept. 8.
The production gives a behind-the-scenes look at the famed musician and the long-standing band during their latest tour.
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“This affects my immune system, so I have to be careful what I choose to do and where I choose to go,” Scialfa, 71, said in the film when discussing her illness.
Patti Scialfa, Bruce Springsteen’s wife and a member of the E Street Band, recently shared that she was diagnosed in 2018 with a type of blood cancer called multiple myeloma. (Getty Images)
“Every once in a while, I come to a show or two and I can sing a few songs on stage, and that’s been a treat,” she continued.
Scialfa joined the E Street Band right before the 1984 “Born in the U.S.A.” tour. She later married Springsteen in 1991 and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2014.
Fox News Digital reached out to Scialfa for comment.
What is multiple myeloma?
Multiple myeloma, a cancer of the cells in the bone marrow, is diagnosed in more than 35,000 people in the U.S. each year, according to the American Cancer Society.
Plasma cells grow in the bone marrow, which has been described as a “factory” of blood.
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In a healthy person, the cells produce proteins called antibodies that are directed against germs to fight infection, according to Dr. Cristina Gasparetto, a hematologic oncologist and professor of medicine at Duke University School of Medicine.
Multiple myeloma occurs when plasma cells grow “out of control,” the ACS states.
Multiple myeloma occurs when plasma cells grow “out of control,” per the American Cancer Society. (iStock)
That causes abnormal antibodies to be secreted in the blood, which can damage the bones and other organs.
“[The disease] is called ‘multiple’ because there are frequently multiple patches or areas in the bone where it grows,” Dr. Joseph Mikhael, chief medical officer of the International Myeloma Foundation in California, told Fox News Digital.
Symptoms of the disease
“Most of the signs and symptoms of myeloma are rather general, with the top three being excessive fatigue, bone pain and anemia,” Mikhael said.
Some patients, however, may not have any symptoms when they are diagnosed.
The most common symptoms can be summed up in the acronym “CRAB,” which stands for high calcium levels in the blood, renal (or kidney) insufficiency, anemia and bone destruction, experts say.
The top three symptoms of the disease are excessive fatigue, bone pain and anemia, experts say.
Bone pain is the hallmark of the disease, as the myeloma cells grow within the bone, which may lead to elevated levels of calcium in the blood, Gasparetto told Fox News Digital.
“Symptoms of having high calcium include increased thirst, dehydration, fatigue, muscle pain and sometimes confusion,” she added.
Multiple myeloma is diagnosed in more than 35,000 people in the U.S. each year, according to the American Cancer Society. (iStock)
The antibodies produced by the myeloma cells are eliminated through the kidneys, which can cause obstruction and/or direct damage to the organs.
“The patient will notice some foamy urine, due to the presence of an abundant amount of an [abnormal] protein called Bence-Jones proteinuria,” Gasparetto said.
Methods of diagnosis
The first step is typically to administer specific blood and urine tests, which reveal abnormally high protein levels excreted by the tumor cells – often referred to as an “M spike,” experts told Fox News Digital.
“We measure this protein at the time of diagnosis, during therapy to assess response, and thereafter to monitor progression or relapse,” Gasparetto said.
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Bone pain may also prompt imaging, which would reveal any skeletal abnormalities.
The initial results are then confirmed with a bone aspiration and biopsy.
“With the bone marrow aspiration, we remove a small amount of fluid from the bone marrow, and with the bone marrow biopsy, we remove a small piece of bone,” Gasparetto said.
Myeloma does not typically run in families, but there is a slightly increased incidence when a family member has the disease, experts say. (iStock)
A pathologist then analyzes the sample to determine the severity of the disease.
The final diagnosis is based on a combination of all these tests — blood work, bone marrow aspiration and biopsy, imaging studies and urinalysis, experts told Fox News Digital.
Risk factors for the disease
Myeloma does not typically run in families, but there is a slightly increased incidence when a family member has the disease, Mikhael told Fox News Digital.
“For the vast majority of cases, we do not know the cause of myeloma.”
Many cases may be due to random genetic changes that occur later in life, experts say.
“For the vast majority of cases, we do not know the cause of myeloma,” Mikhael said. “It is more common as we age, with the average age of diagnosis approximately 69.”
African-American and Latino American patients are diagnosed at a younger age, on average at around 64 or 65.
Individuals of African descent are twice as likely to have myeloma, statistics show.
Multiple myeloma is more common as people age, doctors say, with the average age of diagnosis approximately 69. (iStock)
Firefighters who have been exposed to fires are more at risk, and other types of chemical exposures are also connected to myeloma, including Agent Orange and excessive radiation, Mikhael noted.
There may also be a greater risk for people who have a higher increased body mass index, as well as in people who have certain blood conditions, such as monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS), which involves an abnormal protein in the blood without the organ damage caused by multiple myeloma.
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In most cases, multiple myeloma cannot be prevented, according to Dr. Mikkael Sekeres, chief of the division of hematology of Sylvester Cancer Center at the University of Miami.
Treatment options
The American Cancer Society recommends that myeloma patients see an oncologist for a personalized treatment plan based on their age, overall health and severity of the disease.
Some therapies may include monoclonal antibodies and drugs called immune modulating agents, which boost the immune system to help the body fight cancer.
“Multiple myeloma can [also] be treated with chemotherapy — up to three or four drug regimens for a few months, followed by maintenance therapy,” a doctor said. (iStock)
“Multiple myeloma can [also] be treated with chemotherapy — up to three or four drug regimens for a few months, followed by maintenance therapy,” Sekeres told Fox News Digital.
Eligible patients may pursue a bone marrow (stem cell) transplant, which can lead to prolonged remissions, the doctor added.
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The cancer is not cured with conventional therapy, but most patients respond well to treatment, according to Mikhael.
“The average survival rate was one or two years just 20 years ago, but it is now over 10 years,” he noted.
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Bryan Johnson, a biohacker and longevity guru who has claimed “we may be the first generation who won’t die,” revealed he has an autoimmune condition causing his stomach to “eat itself.”
The Los Angeles-based tech entrepreneur, 48, has previously shared publicly that he is hoping to live until the year 2140, when he would in theory be 160 years old.
Now, Johnson says he has been diagnosed with autoimmune gastritis (AIG), a chronic autoimmune disease in which the immune system attacks the stomach’s acid-producing parietal cells, reducing stomach acid and impairing vitamin B12 absorption, according to Nature Reviews Disease Primers.
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“My stomach is eating itself,” he wrote in an Instagram post. Johnson also shared that anywhere from 2% to 5% of people likely have this disease.
“I’m going to try to solve it,” Johnson went on. “Will share all.”
Bryan Johnson, a biohacker and longevity guru who has claimed “we may be the first generation who won’t die,” revealed he has an autoimmune condition causing his stomach to “eat itself.” (Getty Images)
The biohacker shared that as a child, he ate sugary cereal, drank sugary soda and “gobbled down fast food.”
“I became a young father of three and began building a business,” Johnson went on. “Juggling that stress and grind, I let my health slip and gained 40 lbs. Within a few years I’d fallen into a deep, chronic depression.”
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“Somewhere in that timeline, my body began developing an autoimmune process affecting my thyroid and then my stomach lining,” he added.
Fox News Digital reached out to Johnson for comment.
AIG can remain hidden and can be challenging to diagnose, Johnson noted, often surfacing years after damage has already occurred to the stomach. It can cause iron deficiency, B12 deficiency and anemia, and can also increase the risk of stomach cancer, the expert warned.
“Low iron stores get normalized and rarely investigated at all when anemia hasn’t shown up yet,” Johnson wrote. “That blind spot is what hid mine for a decade.”
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He also shared that for 11 years, he has had low levels of ferritin, a protein that stores iron inside the body’s cells. Ferritin releases iron when the body needs it, supports muscle function and carries out other essential processes.
“We continually tried to raise my iron levels with food and supplementation, but nothing would work,” he said.
The Los Angeles-based tech entrepreneur, 48, has previously shared publicly that he is hoping to live until the year 2140. (Getty Images)
Johnson acknowledged that some common biohacking techniques — including hard training, sauna and hyperbaric oxygen — all raise the body’s demand for iron.
“But none of them explained the core failure: Despite me taking iron orally, trailing every formulation and using every timing trick, none of the iron would stick.”
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Johnson underwent a colonoscopy and upper endoscopy, which examined his entire intestinal tract. Five biopsies were also taken from his stomach, which found “clear signs of early autoimmune gastritis: early atrophy confined to the acid-producing lining.”
In January 2026, the biohacker stated in a post on his website that “by 2039, my goal is immortality.”
“In the age of AI, multiomics, and custom-built DNA, proteins and cells, no condition should be presumed incurable simply because no one has yet tried to cure it with today’s stack,” Johnson said in his post. (Getty Images)
He detailed his strategy for defying aging, which includes embracing a strict regimen to slow or stop biological aging, using AI to accelerate longevity research, testing new treatments in lab-grown cells and organs, and reaching “longevity escape velocity” — in which medical advances would eventually extend lifespan faster than he ages.
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“I may fail at this task, but my team and I will try our best,” he wrote at the time.
There is currently no cure for AIG, which Johnson said he wants to change.
Johnson acknowledged that some common biohacking techniques — including hard training, sauna and hyperbaric oxygen — all raise the body’s demand for iron. (iStock)
“In the age of AI, multiomics, and custom-built DNA, proteins and cells, no condition should be presumed incurable simply because no one has yet tried to cure it with today’s stack.”
Johnson ended his post by urging others to prioritize their health.
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“Care for yourself, care for others, care for the planet and care for our animal friends. Care for life, as it’s the most precious gift there is.”
The longevity guru also shared an image showing the detailed findings of his five stomach biopsies.
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At 93, sprightly referee Frank Foster is still brandishing red and yellow cards and running the field three times a week for his local soccer association.
Having taken charge of around 5,500 matches over a 46-year officiating career, the great-grandfather credits his longevity and match-day stamina to a lifetime of healthy habits and a foundational diet, news agency SWNS reported.
Foster puts his remarkable fitness down to the strict wartime rations he was fed as a teenager, noting that it ensured he grew up eating “healthy food” rather than “sweets and cakes.”
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Decades later, his game-day preparation is still fueled by wholesome nutrition, always starting with a morning bowl of oatmeal, cereal or marmalade on toast to give him the energy to last the full 90 minutes.
The meal keeps him active enough to referee men’s, women’s and children’s games, a hobby he jokes he will never blow the final whistle on.
Frank Foster started refereeing in 1980. Today, he still officiates men’s, women’s and children’s games around three times a week. (SWNS)
His sharp mind and authoritative presence on the field are just as strong as his physical endurance.
A military veteran who aced his referee exam in 1980 with a 98% score, Foster relies on old-school discipline to keep matches under control, SWNS reported.
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He believes modern elite officials are too “soft” and allow player antics to ruin the sport. To maintain order and keep players from acting out, he lays down strict ground rules before kickoff. He has no patience for intimidation or theatrical diving. “Those who go down like they have been shot, well, I would just book them,” he said.
He is equally uncompromising when squads try to crowd him on the field.
Frank Foster is pictured before he became a referee. (Frank Foster/SWNS)
“I wouldn’t let them surround me at all,” Foster told SWNS.
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“I would say to the players, ‘Stay where you are,’ and ‘If you move one more inch, I will give you a yellow card.’ You need to stamp your authority and let them know who is in control.”
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He also avoids the modern stress of video-reviewing plays, which he believes creates unnecessary “aggression and disappointment” over microscopic offside calls, adding, “I think it spoils the game.”
Foster credits his longevity to wartime rations, adding that he avoided sweets. (SWNS)
“Sometimes it is only the player’s toe that is offside — it is ridiculous.”
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Foster says he “never thought” he’d still be doing this at age 93, but he makes the most of that gift.
He keeps his kit freshly washed, making sure it is “neat and tidy” for when he gets on that field.
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Foster, of South Yorkshire, England, also scrubs his black Adidas boots after every game, making sure they are “nice and clean” for his next match.
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Summer fun in the sun is being taken to a new extreme.
“Tanmaxxing” is a social media trend that involves maximizing sun exposure and tanning the skin more intensely.
Popular among Gen Z, the practice combines time spent in direct sunlight with a variety of tanning products like oils, bronzers and gels.
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Creators on social media are showing off their dramatic tan lines and outdoor set-ups — some even forgoing sun protection or adding tanning bed sessions.
“Tanmaxxing” is trending on social media as a way of maximizing sun exposure. (iStock)
While spending time outdoors can help boost mood, support the body’s production of vitamin D and reduce screen time, dermatologists warn that excessive sun exposure — especially as promoted by the tanmaxxing trend — can be dangerous.
New York-based board-certified dermatologist Dr. Michael Tassavor, MD, emphasized that there is “no such thing as a safe, natural tan.”
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“Tanning is damage,” he said in an interview with Fox News Digital. “Tanfluencers sell a deep tan as a ‘wellness upgrade,’ but a tan isn’t a glow-up — it’s your skin’s visible distress signal that DNA damage has already happened.”
“As a skin cancer specialist, I’ve taken care of thousands of skin cancers on patients who ‘tanmaxxed’ before it had a name. Most regret it.”
Using a tanning bed before 35 years old can raise melanoma risk by about 75%, an expert warned. (iStock)
The World Health Organization classifies UV radiation and tanning beds as Group 1 carcinogens, which is the same category as tobacco and asbestos.
Using a tanning bed before age 35 can raise melanoma risk by about 75%, Tassavor noted.
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“The damage compounds silently and shows up years later, once the easy window to intervene has closed,” he said.
According to Tassavor, two common beliefs behind tanmaxxing are false: Skipping sunscreen does not produce a “better” tan, and a base tan does not protect the skin from future sunburns.
“Most of your vitamin D can come from diet and supplements, and your skin is efficient enough to top up what it needs from ordinary incidental exposure,” a dermatologist said. (iStock)
Sunlight “isn’t the enemy,” the dermatologist noted, but there’s no need to chase it.
“Most of your vitamin D can come from diet and supplements, and your skin is efficient enough to [get] what it needs from ordinary incidental exposure,” he said.
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“Vitamin D matters for bone density, and sun does give some people a genuine mood lift, but there’s no evidence that anyone has to go out of their way to sunbathe for it, and no evidence that diligent sunscreen use harms bone health.”
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To safely expose yourself to the sun, Tassavor recommends using SPF 30 sunscreen and reapplying every two hours. Tanning beds should be avoided “entirely,” he cautioned, because there is “no safe dose” of UV exposure and using them accelerates skin aging.
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