Health
Michael Bolton had strange symptoms before brain cancer diagnosis: ‘Something’s wrong’
‘My dog detected my cancer before doctors did’
Breanna Bortner’s dog, Mochi, began fixating on her breast before she was diagnosed with stage 2B triple-negative breast cancer, showing unusual and intuitive behavior throughout her journey.
A Grammy-winning singer and his family have revealed the surprising early symptoms of his brain cancer.
Michael Bolton, who was diagnosed in December 2023 with glioblastoma — the most aggressive and fastest-growing form of brain cancer — first exhibited signs that something was amiss the month prior, according to his daughters.
During a family night at the bowling alley, Bolton, 72, bowled out of turn several times, they told People during a recent interview.
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That same night, the singer had also fallen out of his chair, which was “very unusual,” Taryn, 45, told the outlet.
“He’s super athletic, and he doesn’t drink,” she said. “So he fell, and we were like, ‘What just happened?’”
Michael Bolton is pictured during a press conference in Mexico City on June 5, 2023, a few months before his brain cancer diagnosis. (Getty Images)
“That was when we were like, ‘Something’s wrong with his brain.”
Looking back now, Bolton’s daughters recognize “so many things” they missed.
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Earlier that fall, the Grammy winner had struggled to keep his balance and experienced nausea while performing at a charity event.
His daughters had assumed the strange symptoms were due to lack of sleep or excess stress, they said.
“He’d been working nonstop that whole time,” Taryn recalled while speaking to People.
“It is truly among the most tragic diseases.”
“Traveling, doing shows, doing all of these things. We were like, he’s getting older, he’s tired, he’s stressed out. All of these things we sort of explained in a way, one by one.”
Following the strange symptoms while bowling, Bolton began experiencing headaches, his daughters shared.
The following Monday, he received an MRI that detected a brain tumor, which was removed surgically and found to be glioblastoma.
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While rare, glioblastoma is known for affecting people across all ages and for its fast, aggressive development, according to Michael Canney Ph.D., chief scientific officer of Carthera, a Colorado health tech company that develops medical devices to treat severe brain disorders.
“Although glioblastoma’s cause isn’t fully known, the disease begins when genetic changes in brain cells cause them to grow out of control,” Canney, who was not involved in Bolton’s care, told Fox News Digital.
Michael Bolton performs on stage during Starlite Occident 2023 at Cantera de Nagüeles on June 30, 2023, in Malaga, Spain. A few months later, he would undergo surgery to remove a glioblastoma brain tumor. (Getty Images)
“These cancerous cells rapidly invade surrounding brain tissue, making the tumor especially aggressive and hard to treat.”
Canney confirmed that the symptoms Bolton experienced — confusion, sudden falls and severe headaches — are consistent with glioblastoma warning signs.
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“Other potential red flags include nausea, memory loss, personality changes, speech difficulties and vision changes,” he added.
“While the symptoms of glioblastoma are not unique to this disease, anytime you or a loved one experience an unexplained change in behavior, mental awareness or motor control, it’s important to see a medical professional.”
Michael Bolton is pictured during the 32nd annual Grammy Awards at Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles on Feb. 21, 1990. (Getty Images)
After surgery, Bolton completed radiation and chemotherapy, which have so far kept cancer at bay, the report noted.
He receives ongoing MRIs every two months to ensure that he is still clear of tumors.
Treatment and prognosis
Glioblastoma is among the deadliest cancers, with patients living for an average of just over a year after diagnosis. The five-year survival rate is less than 5%.
“It is truly among the most tragic diseases,” Canney said.
“A number of clinical trials are underway that give us an immense sense of hope.”
Part of what makes glioblastoma so severe is its resistance to treatment, according to the expert.
“Around your brain, there’s a natural protective barrier called the blood-brain barrier,” he told Fox News Digital.
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“While this barrier keeps the brain safe from toxins and other harmful substances, it also blocks the life-saving chemotherapy drugs used in treating most cancers.”
In some cases, including Bolton’s, glioblastoma treatment can begin with surgery to remove the tumor, provided it has not grown too deeply into the brain, Canney said.
Glioblastoma is among the deadliest cancers, with patients living for an average of just over a year after diagnosis. (iStock)
Other treatment options include radiation and chemotherapy, which can “modestly extend survival,” he noted.
“Although current treatment options are limited, a number of clinical trials are underway that give us an immense sense of hope,” Canney said, pointing out a new form of ultrasound-based technology that is showing promise.
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“If approved, this technology will enable doctors to safely and temporarily open the blood-brain barrier for the first time ever — allowing a greater number of potentially more effective chemotherapy drugs into the brain.”
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Journalist Katie Couric is sharing a scary medical episode that she experienced on June 27.
In a post on Substack titled “The Day I’ll Never Remember,” she detailed a sudden episode that left her unable to recall the current month, year and president.
“I thought it was 2024. And I believed Joe Biden was president,” she wrote.
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The event occurred while Couric was attending the Aspen Ideas Festival in Colorado, during which she participated in two public panels — one on AI and one on journalism — both of which she cannot remember at all.
“I have no idea what we talked about, or of what occurred when the panels ended,” she said.
Journalist Katie Couric is sharing a scary medical episode that she experienced on June 27. (Getty Images)
John Molner — Couric’s husband, who was in attendance at the festival and the two panels — also shared his account.
After the event, someone told Molner that Katie wasn’t feeling well. When he reached her, an EMT and a doctor were tending to her. “I could tell something was off,” he wrote. “It could have been altitude sickness, but Katie was definitely not all there.”
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At the hospital, when Couric struggled to recall the year, the president and her grandchildren’s names, doctors began checking for a stroke.
An MRI revealed no signs of stroke, which was a relief, but “Katie’s ‘fog’ became a lot more apparent,” Molner wrote.
John Molner, Couric’s husband, who was in attendance at the festival and the two panels, also shared his account. (Getty Images)
“She repeatedly asked me the same questions: ‘What was I doing before we got to the hospital?’ ‘Why am I at the hospital?’”
Couric was ultimately diagnosed with transient global amnesia, a sudden, temporary episode of memory loss that prevents a person from forming new memories and may also erase some recent memories, according to Mayo Clinic.
“The cause seems to be as mysterious as the brain itself.”
It is not caused by a stroke, seizure or head injury, and it usually resolves completely within 24 hours.
“[It’s] just a very weird neural episode that’s pretty uncommon and, at least in most cases, is a ‘one and done’ experience,” Molner said.
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Couric said she finally began feeling “like herself” again around 9 p.m. and went to sleep at 2 a.m.
As TGA leaves a “permanent gap in memory” for the duration of the episode and for hours beforehand, Couric said that from around noon on that day until at least 7 p.m. will remain a “big, black hole.”
As TGA leaves a “permanent gap in memory” for the duration of the episode and for hours beforehand, Couric said that from around noon on that day until at least 7 p.m. will remain a “big, black hole.” (Getty Images)
Data shows that approximately three to eight people per 100,000 will have an episode of transient global amnesia, with people 50 years of age and older at higher risk.
The specific cause of TGA is not known, but some experts believe it stems from a “temporary dysfunction in the brain’s hippocampus — the area responsible for creating new memories,” Couric shared.
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“Doctors believe this is driven by brief interruptions in blood or oxygen flow, or microscopic spasm in the blood vessels.”
Episodes could potentially be triggered by intense physical exertion, emotional distress, extreme temperature changes or migraines, experts say.
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Approximately 15% of patients will have a recurrence 10 years later.
“Why did this happen to me? Was the altitude an issue? Was I dehydrated? Tired? Stressed? The literature doesn’t seem to indicate that these are contributing factors, but the cause seems to be as mysterious as the brain itself,” Couric wrote.
Anyone who experiences sudden memory loss, confusion, difficulty speaking, weakness, numbness, vision changes, severe headache or other stroke-like symptoms should seek immediate medical attention or call 911, doctors advise. (iStock)
“All I know is that those hours will be forever lost. Someone described it as my brain failing to hit the ‘record button.’”
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“While this was a freaky occurrence, it could have been much more serious. So ultimately, I’m relieved — even though several hours of a Saturday in June will always be missing for me.”
Anyone who experiences sudden memory loss, confusion, difficulty speaking, weakness, numbness, vision changes, severe headache or other stroke-like symptoms should seek immediate medical attention or call 911, doctors advise.
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Older adults identified as “super movers” are about half as likely to develop cognitive impairment than their peers.
That’s according to a recent study led by Stony Brook Medicine in New York, which evaluated the cognitive function of 4,000 adults 80 and over who participated in multiple aging and longevity studies over several years.
Among this group, 6% to 10% were classified as super movers, which means they walk at a much faster pace than others of the same age and gender — at speeds comparable to people three decades younger.
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The super movers were found to have about half the risk of cognitive decline compared to seniors with typical gait speed.
The findings were published in the journal Neurology on June 16.
Older adults identified as “super movers” are about half as likely to develop cognitive impairment than their peers. (iStock)
“The study reinforces that mobility and brain health are closely connected,” lead study author Dr. Joe Verghese, MD, neurologist at Stony Brook Medicine, told Fox News Digital. “This suggests that preserving mobility may be an important marker of healthy brain aging and resilience.”
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The most intriguing finding, according to Verghese, was that super movers maintained cognitive function despite having similar dementia-related brain changes as their peers.
In postmortem brain analysis, there was no difference in dementia-related pathologies between the super movers and the slower walkers, the study stated.
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“This suggests they may possess resilience mechanisms that help preserve brain function even in the presence of age-related changes,” he said. “Understanding these resilience factors could lead to new strategies for promoting healthy brain aging.”
As the study was observational, there were some limitations, and it does not prove that walking faster prevents dementia, the researchers noted.
Super movers were found to have about half the risk of cognitive decline compared to seniors with typical gait speed. (iStock)
“Other factors, such as cardiovascular health, physical fitness or genetics, may also contribute to both faster walking and better cognitive outcomes,” Verghese said.
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This study adds to growing evidence that what’s good for the heart and muscles also benefits the brain, he noted, adding that “staying physically active remains one of the most effective, evidence-based ways to support healthy aging.”
“Walking speed is best viewed as a marker of overall health, not a treatment.”
“The broader message is that physical activity is important at any age,” Verghese said. “Walking is an easy step-up point because you don’t need any special equipment. You can do it inside or outdoors, and you can do it on a regular basis. You can walk with a dog, you can walk with a friend.”
Any activity is beneficial if it’s done regularly and with the right intensity, he added.
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Rather than just trying to walk faster, the neurologist recommends that seniors focus on maintaining mobility through regular physical activity, strength training, balance exercises and good cardiovascular health.
“Walking speed is best viewed as a marker of overall health, not a treatment,” Verghese noted.
Major public health guidelines from the CDC and U.S. Physical Activity Guidelines recommend at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity each week, such as brisk walking.
Major public health guidelines from the CDC and U.S. Physical Activity Guidelines recommend at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity each week, such as brisk walking. (iStock)
This can be achieved by walking 30 minutes a day, five days a week, or about 20 to 25 minutes most days. Another option is to engage in shorter sessions that add up over the day.
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“You have to do it within your health limitations and medical conditions,” Verghese advised. “So if there are any medical concerns, I would get your physician to clear you before starting exercise.” The good thing about walking, he added, is that you can start at a slow pace and then gradually build up to a brisker pace.
“And then adding on strength and balance training, whatever age you are, I think is also important.”
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